


Fighting the Darkness

by Buffyworldbuilder, lateVMlover (Buffyworldbuilder)



Category: Angel: the Series, Batman (Movies - Nolan), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Smallville, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:08:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 74,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25087411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buffyworldbuilder/pseuds/Buffyworldbuilder, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buffyworldbuilder/pseuds/lateVMlover
Summary: Clark experiences a devastating loss when his world collides with Buffy's supernatural one. Finding out about the supernatural world and the threats to Earth changes the course of his life. He learns that life isn't as black and white as his parents taught him. This story is darker than Smallville. Contains Batman, Kara, and Angel and Company.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set one year after Smallville season 10. The public has known about Superman for almost immediately after he began to fly at the end of the show (in my story). It is primarily set in the BTVS world. Buffy is in the final moments of season 7.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own BTVS or Smallville, nor the characters from either show. Only this story is mine.

_********* _ _Metropolis*****_

Lois Lane let out an excited, "I knew it!"

"What?" Clark asked, glancing over at his girlfriend, whose desk was on the other side of his.

"I've been tracing these weird stories coming out of Sunnydale, California. The town is worse than Smallville and Chloe's Wall of Weird," she said. She started throwing down stories in front of Clark. "Missing kids. Animal attacks. Crazy gangs on supposed PCP. The high school blew up—gas leak is the official report. Others say the mayor turned into a giant snake and ate the principal."

"Seriously?" Clark said, laughing at his fiancée. "We don't report trash but actual news."

"Clark, there's too many weird reports for this to all be a hoax," Lois said. "The high school paper had its own obituary." Then she pulled out a yearbook photo from a graduating class. "Look at this. The graduating class from four years ago. Look at the awards they passed out." She pointed. "This is the class that survived the school blowing up or whatever the hell happened. Notice that this girl here was given the Class Protector award. Buffy Summers. How strange is that? A girl."

"Are you saying girls can't be heroes?" he asked, grinning at her.

"No, I'm just thinking there's something funny about this girl. Her name comes up in too many reports. Charges against her and then they're dropped without explanation. But she gets this award, so she must be a good person," Lois said. "I want to find her and interview her."

Clark sat up. "I don't think this is the kind of town you should spend time in Lois. It's too dangerous," he said, getting a bad feeling.

"There's this serial killer, Clark, that's been targeting young women all over the country," Lois shared. "He was last spotted in Sunnydale. And people are leaving the town. I called and spoke to a city official and was told that a hundred or so people a week are just pulling up and leaving. They feel scared but can't explain why."

"Are you looking for the killer or this Buffy girl?" Clark asked.

"I think the class protector will know something," Lois said, convinced.

"Clark!" Perry called. "Get your ass in here. I got an assignment for you."

"Be right there, sir," Clark called. "Don't go anywhere without me. Okay?"

"I won't," she said. She turned back to her desk. This was a major story—she could just tell.

Clark came back a few minutes later. "Perry is sending me to cover the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans," he said.

"Really? That's awesome!" she said.

"You want to go with me? We could take some time for us," he said, smiling at her. They didn't get married when they were supposed to, but she knew him so completely. She knew Clark Kent the man and Kal El the Kryptonian, who only learned to fly a year ago. More importantly, she loved both sides of him.

Lois grinned. "You're trying to bribe me away from my big story, aren't you?" she asked.

"Maybe," he admitted.

"You know I like to have a fun time _after_ I nail my big story," she said.

"That place sounds too dangerous for you to go by yourself," he said, frowning.

"I'm a big girl, Clark, and I can take care of myself," Lois said.

"I know, but I still don't like it," he said.

"Well, it's a good thing you can hear me when I call and get to me very quickly," she said in a low voice. "My special hero."

Clark had only recently come out as Superman. Since it had taken him nearly twenty-five years to master it, his cousin Kara teased him a lot about being a Kryptonian who was afraid of heights. One day, he'd just looked at Lois and just knew. He had a job, friends, and Lois—she was everything. Releasing the pressure of a wedding date relaxed something inside of him. They were together and more of a unit than any two people could possibly be. And just like that, he was flying. Oliver had a special suit made for him, and then the Blur was no more.

He was Superman—named so by the love of his life.

"Promise me that you won't be reckless or trail anyone in a priest outfit," he said.

"I won't. I promise," she said. She leaned over to kiss him. Then she picked up the phone to get a flight to California.

Clark went with her to the airport since he was headed out himself. He pulled her close. "I love you," he said. "Come back to me."

"Always," she said, giving him that look that never failed to warm him inside.

He never stopped smiling as he watched her walk to her plane.

**** _Sunnydale****_

Lois rented a car and drove the two hours to Sunnydale. The scenery was so different from Kanas that she didn't mind. It was an ocean drive, and she called Clark to brag about what he was missing.

"Well, I'm about to have a beignet," Clark said smugly. Lois was addicted to them.

"You so better bring me one back!" she ordered as she passed the Welcome to Sunnydale sign.

"I gotta go, sweetheart. I'll call you before bedtime, okay?" Clark said.

She hung up, looking for a hotel to stay the night. Her first hit of unease came as she pulled into the hotel parking lot—a very deserted parking lot.

"Where is everyone?" she asked the front desk agent. She knew people had been leaving, but she didn't expect it to be this empty. It was creepy.

"I think everyone is sensing a big quake or something," the agent said with a shrug. "This is an odd town. People come, and people go."

"Where is a good place to eat?" she asked.

"There's some places downtown," he suggested. "But you don't really want to be in town after dark. There's some dangerous folks around."

"I'll be fine," Lois said.

"You should be if you get back before dark," he said, handing her a key.

She went to her room and put down her bag. After using the bathroom, she went back to her car and drove into town. Her unease increased as she didn't see a single person on the street. A few cars passed her heading out of town. Their cars were loaded up—it was a disturbing sight.

"What the hell is going on?" she wondered. She sent a text to Clark. _Town is very odd. No one is here. Hotel was empty and so are streets. Cars passing me heading out of town!_ She wasn't surprised when Clark responded with a warning to be careful. "He's such a Boy Scout," she muttered lovingly. She'd loved Oliver Queen, but he'd never let her get close. It'd taken Lois a while to wear down her super powered honey, but Clark eventually trusted her with all his secrets. Of course, she already knew his secret before he got around to telling her, but that was half the fun. Now she had to get her thrills elsewhere. Chasing down a story was what kept her blood flowing and made life worth living.

She pulled into a diner, relieved to see a person behind the counter. "Glad to see some place is open. This town seems so empty," she said.

"Well, you caught us on our last day. The boss is shutting down for a two-week vacation," the girl said. "We close in a half hour, so be quick with your order."

"Okay," Lois said, feeling uneasy again. This place was even stranger than Smallville. She ordered a club sandwich, which was quick and fries. The sandwich arrived in five minutes, so she ate and watched the street. The unease grew inside of her as she saw no one on the street the entire time she was eating. As she finished, three moving trucks drove by, headed out of town. Then three cars followed.

"People are leaving town in a major way," she said to the server as she laid down her money.

"Yes," the girl said. "This town has something really wrong with it. About a week ago or so we all just knew."

"Knew what?" Lois asked.

"That we have to leave if we wanted to live," the woman said as she picked up Lois's money and walked away.

Now Lois was feeling even more wigged out. "Maybe I should find where Buffy lives and just do my interview. Just finding out what I already have is a story," she muttered. She walked toward the server. "Do you have a phone book?"

The girl nodded and bent down behind the counter. "Make it quick. The sun will be down soon," she said.

Lois found the second warning to not be out after sundown even worse than the first. She quickly scanned the pages of the yellow book, moving to the S section. There it was—Joyce Summers, who was listed as the mother of Buffy Summers in one of the articles she'd read before coming to town. Lois wrote down the address and headed to her car. Happily, she put the address in the GPS the car had. The house was two minutes away.

When she pulled up to the house, she saw the activity that had been missing from everywhere else. There were dozens of girls in the yard. All looked young and all were armed.

"What the hell?" Lois said as she parked the car and got out. A guy—finally she saw a male—was passing out weapons. "What's going on?" she asked as the blonde guy handed her a sword.

"It's time. We have to get to the hellmouth before the sun sets," the guy said as if that should make sense.

"What?" Lois asked. "I'm confused. Is this where Buffy Summers lives?"

"Our general is getting things ready," the guy said. Then he seemed to really look at Lois. "Wait, you're new, right? I don't think we've met."

"Yes, I'm Lois. I just got here," she said.

"I'm Andrew," he said. "Glad you could join us."

"What am I joining?" she asked, gripping the sword. It was real. These people were armed for battle. What were they planning on fighting?

"Did you feel a sudden drive to come here to Sunnydale?" Andrew asked.

Lois nodded. "Yes. I want to know what's happening here," she said.

"We're about to fight for the planet," Andrew said. "If we don't close the hellmouth, a horde of demons and vampires will fill the land, killing everyone they come across. It's up to us to stop it. Buffy and Willow have a plan. If you want to fight with us, pick up the sword. If you don't, get back in your car and drive out of town. Do it quickly."

Lois blinked, stunned. The guy was deadly serious. The faces of all the girls around her were, too. "Hey, new girl," a voice called out. Lois looked and realized that the woman was referring to her. "All newbies stay with me and Andrew. We let the big guns go in first."

Lois nodded. "I'm Lois," she said.

"Anya," Anya said. A blonde with her hair in a ponytail came out on the porch. A redhead girl and a one-eyed man on her other side. "That's Buffy."

Lois looked at the woman, who seemed very determined. Another older man with glasses came out onto the porch while another stayed in the door frame.

"It's time," Buffy said. "Willow will go with Kennedy to do the spell in an open room of the school while the majority of us enter the hellmouth. Those that haven't been training long should stay in the school where there should be less vampires to battle. Some of us won't make it. Know that you're giving your life to save countless others and keeping this world safe. If I don't make it, remember that I died fighting. If you don't make it, I'll never forget your sacrifice." She turned to those on the porch. "Let's go."

She walked off the porch as everyone trailed behind her. Lois turned to Anya. "There's a hellmouth at the school?" she asked. "What's a hellmouth?"

"The new high school. I don't know why they built the new school over the old one," Anya said as they began walking slowly with the group. "A hellmouth is a gateway to hell."

Lois was torn between wanting to know more and calling Chloe to get the Justice League there. Her curiosity won out. "How did the old one get destroyed?" she asked.

"Xander, my ex-fiancée," she said, pointing to the one-eyed guy, "wired it with explosives because the mayor ascended into a giant snake and began eating people. There was an eclipse, and vampires kept people from running to safety."

"I bet that was awful," Lois said, trying to wrap her mind around everything that was happening. It was surreal. These people obviously believed in what they were doing. Was it a mass hallucination? Hysteria?

"I wouldn't know. I wasn't there," Anya said. "I wasn't about to witness another ascension. Xander and I weren't together then. We went to prom together, but that's it. I tried to get him to run with me, but he wouldn't. He'll never leave Buffy and Willow. His girls."

"He cheated on you with both of them?" Lois asked in alarm.

"No. Willow's gay, and Buffy doesn't see him that way. They're best friends," Anya said. "But look at him now. He lost his eye 'cause that insane priest Caleb gauged it out when he tried to fight Buffy's battle. She's the slayer. It's her job, not Xander's!"

Now that Anya confirmed the presence of the serial killer, Lois pulled out her phone to call. She sent a text to the Watch Tower. _Major battle a foot in Sunnydale, California. Bring the team to the high school._

She put away her phone, feeling guilty. She should call Clark, but she had to ask, "Did the police arrest the priest? I hadn't read any news report."

"No, the news never reports the truth of this town," Anya said. "But Buffy took care of him. She sliced him in two with her scythe."

Lois blanched, looking ahead at the weapon Buffy carried. It was big and red—hard to miss. "She just killed him? A man?" she asked.

Anya heard the note of disapproval in Lois' voice. "Well, he wasn't exactly human, you know. He was empowered by the First," she said.

They stopped at the high school, and Lois pulled out her phone to call Clark.

"Clark, you should come to Sunnydale now. There's a bunch of kids, Clark. Most are in their teens. They're armed for battle. They're talking about demons and vampires, Clark. The hellmouth," Lois said.

"So they're some cult?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so," Lois said. "They gave me a sword and told me to stay in the back. Buffy's leading the battle into the hellmouth under the high school."

"What?" Clark asked, alarmed.

"Anya seems pretty sane to me, Clark. They all do," Lois said. She knew they probably weren't, but Anya was deadly serious as was all of them. It was hard for Lois to think they might be all insane.

"Do not go with them, Lois! They're either insane and dangerous or leading you into danger," he said, feeling panic begin to build. "I'm coming."

"I don't think I have a choice, Clark," Lois said as they group went into the school.

"Lois, don't do anything brave or foolish!" Clark ordered, tearing off his shirt. "I'm coming."

Lois put the phone away once more and gripped her sword. She followed Anya. They stood in a hallway while the majority of the group went down the hall. "We'll stay here and pick off any that escape," Anya explained.

Lois nodded, her heart pounding. Where they crazy or were monsters about to arrive?

A few minutes later, she had her answer. Vampires and demons were real, and she swung her sword as one tried to kill her.

She and Anya took down two. "I can't believe this is real!" Lois exclaimed, looking at the pile of dust. "They just turn to dust."

"Yea, convenient, right?" Anya said with a grin. "Demons aren't so convenient. And they have weird colors for their blood."

Lois had a feeling that Clark would not approve of her killing any sentient being, but she knew they would die if she didn't.

"I think more is coming!" Andrew shouted.

A few minutes later, another came. Anya moved and saved Andrew. However, Lois called out a warning. "Anya!"

Anya barely missed the blow that would've killed her. Lois jumped to save her, and the monster tore her open. "Clark!" she called out.

Then everything went dark.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

_I love Lois Lane, but this story is about Buffy and Clark meeting, not Lois and Clark._


	2. Heartbreak

_*****Clark's POV*****_

Clark's heart was hammering in his head as he flew out of his hotel. Lois was in danger, and he had to save her. It wasn't the first time she'd be in danger because his girl was prone to leap and then look. It was one of the things he loved most about her. However, he normally was on hand to stop her from getting hurt. Now, though, she was eighteen hundred miles away from him. As fast as he was, it would still take him several minutes to get to her.

He was flying over Arizona when he heard her cry out. She was calling him, and he had to get to her before it was too late.

He made it to Sunnydale and located the school. Using his x-ray vision, he scanned the area. There were some people inside, but countless bodies under the school. Strange.

As he entered the school, he saw a few bodies. He heard sounds of a battle below. The name Buffy was yelled, and some girls rushed out of a stairwell. When they saw him, they stopped.

"It's Superman!" one girl yelled.

"Damn, B, finally got some help," a brunette said. "Too bad he missed the battle. It's over. Time to get out of town before the hellmouth explodes."

"I'm looking for someone," Clark said. "Lois Lane. She said she was with you."

"I don't know any Lois," the girl said. "But we gotta jet. Call her name, and I'm sure you'll hear her."

Clark nodded and did just that. "Lois!" he called.

"She's over here!" a voice called. Clark blurred toward the voice. A blonde woman and man were standing over Lois' body.

"She saved my life," the woman told Clark. Clark couldn't believe it—it was Lois. The future mother of his children, his other half, his partner, his heart. She was dead, split open with no chance of revival.

"Go! Go!" a voice yelled, and girls rushed past them. One grabbed Andrew and pulled him along.

"Anya, we have to go!" another called.

"I'm so sorry," Anya said to Superman, who looked at Lois in devastation. She followed Xander as Superman reached down and picked Lois up in his arms.

Clark held Lois, unable to grasp was his eyes were seeing. She couldn't be dead—there was no way. She was larger than life, unstoppable, a force of nature. The earth began to shake. It grew worse and the floor buckled under him. He took her and moved quickly as the town of Sunnydale was swallowed hole.

***** _Buffy's POV*****_

Buffy forced herself to let Spike go as the light from the necklace grew brighter. Anguish filled her as the knowledge of his imminent death was undeniable. She ran out of the hellmouth, up the stairs, climbing to the top of the school as the grounds gave way. She kept running, the ache in her stomach from the blade not slowing her down. Her eyes spotted the school bus as it moved. She jumped from building to building until she landed on top of it, holding on tightly. When it came to a stop, she slid off it and her friends spilled out.

She was hugged by a relieved Dawn. Then something landed in front of her, and she jumped back, pushing Dawn protectively behind her.

"It's Superman!" Dawn exclaimed.

"How did he get here?" Buffy asked. "Did someone call him for help?"

"He came for Lois," Anya said.

Buffy moved forward and saw the dead woman cradled in Superman's arms. "Superman, I'm sorry. Who is she?" Buffy asked.

The piercing blue eyes of the man of steel met hers, and she took a step back as the force of his pain clashed with her own. It was too much. Whoever the woman was, she meant a lot to Superman.

"She was everything," he said softly, brushing her cheek.

A helicopter landed, and Buffy turned to see who was there.

"What's the situation?" a hooded man in green asked. He was wearing a masked and carrying a bow and arrow.

"Battle's over. The hellmouth is closed for business," Buffy told him.

The man moved closer, seeing the crater that used to be Sunnydale. Then he spotted his best friend. "Superman?" he asked.

Superman looked up, recognition in his eyes. "She's dead," he announced.

Buffy could tell that the man knew the woman Superman held as he cried out in dismay, joining Superman, who was kneeling with the woman in his arms.

"What happened?" the new guy asked.

"I-I can't. I have to go," Superman said. He stood, holding the woman. Then he flew away.

"What the hell happened to Lois Lane? Why is she dead?" he demanded.

Two other costume heroes moved closer. One was a female.

"Lois Lane, the reporter?" Willow asked in surprise.

The man nodded. "She sent word that you all needed our help, so we came as soon as we could," he said.

"I didn't notice her with us," Willow admitted. "Me either."

A guilty looking Andrew spoke. "I saw her arrive and assumed that she was a late arriving potential. I gave her a sword and told her if she wanted to fight for the world that she should come with us. If she didn't, she should leave town," he said. "She wanted to fight."

"Of course, she would. Lois Lane has never backed down from a fight in her life," the hooded man said, a note of anguish in his voice. It was obvious to Buffy that Lois Lane had meant a great deal to him, too.

"I told her to follow me," Anya said. "We weren't fighting in the main fight, so it was safer with us. She fought with me—like a potential. I didn't suspect she wasn't."

"She knew how to fight," Andrew said.

"Her father is a four-star general and made sure she knew," the man supplied.

"She saved my life," Anya supplied. "I'd be dead if it wasn't for her."

Xander hugged her.

"Lois was like that," the man said quietly. "She’d never leave others to do what she wasn't willing to do herself."

"Is she Superman's girlfriend?" Willow asked. "I thought she was engaged to Clark Kent, her writing partner?" Then her eyes widened as something occurred to her.

"Clark Kent is Superman!" Andrew yelled, excitedly.

Buffy realized that the man of steel would need a secret identity much more than she ever would and gave Andrew that look to shut him up. "Who he may or may not be is none of our business," Buffy said firmly. "We have many secrets of our own, and we would never share with the public what we know."

"Are you their leader?" the man asked.

Buffy nodded. "I'm Buffy. With my friend's help, we ended a global threat," she said.

The man glanced at the large crater. "You destroyed an entire town," he pointed out.

"A deserted town for the most part," Buffy said. "We had no idea that was going to happen. We had this necklace that Spike wore that was supposed to give us an edge. The hordes of vampires and demons were coming out of the hellmouth when it activated. It destroyed all the vampires and caused that to happen." She pointed to the big hole.

"If we didn't try to stop the First, everything would've been over for everyone," Willow said.

"The First?" the man asked.

"The First Evil," Buffy said. "You guys fight criminals. We fight actual evil. Beings without a soul or redemption. Their only goal is to destroy life and sometimes the entire world. I've been fighting the darkness in this town for seven years."

The women spoke. "You have some injured people here. We need to get you to a doctor," she said. "Any that are life threatening can fly in the helicopter."

"Robin. He's the worst," Dawn said.

Buffy was grateful for the help even as she couldn't believe help arrived too late to make any real difference.

***** _Many Miles Away*****_

Clark knew that Lois was gone, but he had to try. He took her to his fortress and begged his father to help.

"I'm sorry, my son. She is too far gone to be saved," Jor El said. "Her soul has journeyed far from her body."

Clark felt a growing rage as he accepted that the woman he loved was gone forever. He let out a power yell of pain. Then he flew, leaving her behind. He flew so fast and so far that he lost a sense of time. The fact that his powerful flight caused damage everywhere he went was lost to him. Storms rose, and buildings fell. Avalanches and glass shattered behind his wake.

Down in Los Angeles where Buffy and the gang stopped for help, reports of his actions were on the news. Of course, the media had no idea what was causing the problem.

"It has to be Superman," Buffy said to Angel. They went to his hotel for some rest.

"Superman? How do you know that?" Angel asked.

"He was at the hellmouth. The woman he loved was in the battle somehow," Buffy said. "She died saving Anya."

"That's terrible," Angel said with sympathy.

"He looked like I felt. His pain was tangible, and I felt so bad that I inadvertently caused such a man who means so much to the world all that pain," Buffy said.

"It's not your fault," Angel said.

"Will," Buffy called out. "We have to do something to stop Superman. He's out of control. I don't think any of his super friends are magic users."

Willow nodded. "We should go to the Hollywood sign and watch for his approach," she suggested.

"I'll go with you," Angel said.

"No one else," Buffy said. "The man is in agony, and we don't want to spread around that he is the one causing all the problems."

Kennedy refused to let Willow go without her, so the four of them drove the Hollywood sign. It was very late.

"How will we be able to see him?" Kennedy asked, looking below and seeing city lights only.

"I can see him if he comes," Willow said confidently. Ever since she'd done that spell earlier, she felt an awakening in her senses. Her connection to the earth was stronger than ever.

They waited, catching up with Angel and sharing stories. Then they heard it—a sound like a sonic boom.

"He's nearby," Willow said. She began chanting and threw up her hands. An invisible wall was built high above them to stop him when he flew by. She underestimated, however, how hard he would hit it. The force of his hit knocked down trees and the Hollywood sign, causing them to fall to the ground by the force of the blow.

"Oww!" Buffy complained as she struggled to get up.

Lights from Angel's car cast a glow, and Kennedy held up a large flashlight that she'd brought. Superman was on the ground looking stunned but unharmed. They cautiously moved toward him.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Superman said. Then he realized he knew her. "What happened?"

"Sorry," Willow said. "I was trying to stop you. Your speed flying has been causing damage across the world. Buildings are collapsing, and people are dying."

"What?" Superman asked in disbelief. He got up slowly.

"We know you're hurting," Buffy said. "But you are too powerful to express your pain in this way. You have to find another way."

Clark blinked, trying to focus on what she was saying. "Lois is dead," he said flatly. "I'm not sure I care anymore." Then he flew up and away before they could react.

"Great. A heartbroken superhero with the power to destroy the world," Kennedy said in disgust.

"He's younger than I thought he'd be," Angel said in bemusement.

"He's around twenty-five or twenty-six," Willow calculated. "Poor guy."

"Let's hope he comes to his senses," Kennedy said.

"He will," Buffy said. "He just needed to be told what was happening. He's in pain right now, but at his core, he is a hero and will do what's best for humanity."

"According to the article I read, he's not human," Angel said. "He's from another planet. Do we really know where his allegiance lies?"

"He was raised here," Willow added. "He considers Earth his home, and it's under his protection."

"He just needs time," Buffy said.

"What if he decides that we're at fault for his girl's death?" Kennedy asked.

Willow and Buffy exchanged worried looks. In many ways, they were responsible. They hadn't even noticed her presence, nor did they manage to protect her. Feeling guilty, they headed back to the hotel.

****** _The Watchtower******_

Clark landed on the balcony of the Watchtower, his feelings all over the place.

"Clark!" Chloe shouted in relief. She turned to the guys sitting at a nearby table. "He's here."

They all get up and walk toward the balcony doors, but Chloe was already clinging to Clark.

"I can't believe she's dead!" Chloe said, crying into Clark's chest. Lois was her cousin, but she was more like a sister to her. They'd survived so much.

"I've lost her, Chloe," he murmured, he wrapped his arms around her.

Bart, Victor, A. C., and Dinah followed Oliver's lead, saying nothing as they watched Clark, their friend and personal hero, fall to his knees with Chloe, too broken to keep standing.

Oliver alone felt comfortable enough to join the two as he had loved Lois first and remained her cousin-in-law. However, he loved her and felt like her big brother. The pain of her loss was overwhelming to the man, who had known more loss than any of them. Tears slid down his cheek as he put a hand on his wife's shoulder and Clark's, knowing nothing he could say or do would make their loss any better.

Their friends watched, feeling helpless.

Clark was their North Star, their conscience, and leader. He had saved all of them at one time or another. How could they save him from this?

***** _Washington D. C.*****_

"General, we have news," his aid said, entering his office.

"Yes?" General Lane asked, looking up.

"It's about your daughter, Lois," he said. "Superman just brought her the morgue in Metropolis. She is dead."

Stunned, the general stood to his feet. Whoever was responsible for his daughter's death would regret it.

****** _Chapter End*****_

_I know it's awful to kill off Lois, but I didn't plan on her being in this story and could think of no other way to explain her absence except killing her off. Also, her death is what propels the story._


	3. A Dark Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a refresher for Smallville's very last episode. Darkseid came to Earth, and Clark finally flew, defeating it. A Lionel Luther from a parallel world came to get Tess's heart for a cloned version of Lex Luthor. Lex could have died from a bad heart or he could be alive. The episode never answered either way. Tess's last act after Lex stabbed her was to erase Lex's memory. The finale jumped 7 years and had Lois and Clark finally getting married, not really showing the battle with Darkseid. It's assumed that Clark saved the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this story, I'm assuming that Clark came out as Superman right after defeating Darkseid, staying engaged but not married to Lois. Because I killed her off, that obviously won't happen. Buffy and the gang would be aware of Superman as he would've shown himself to the world right as the First begins heating up things on the hellmouth in the fall, several months earlier. Occupied with their own battle, Superman wouldn't be anyone they'd think about for help. That'll come up, though. Also, I wanted to clarify that they do NOT know anything about Superman or his weaknesses. Willow's shield slowing him down in the last chapter didn't mean to imply they knew about his weakness toward magic. It was just something to get his attention, which it did. It is just a coincidence that magic is something he is a bit vulnerable to. I hope that helps clarify some things. Sorry for the long note!

_*****Several Days Later*****_

Clark stood at the cemetery still having a hard time believing that Lois was gone. They had just finished her graveside funeral. Her sister and father were as stunned as he was. Lucy was inconsolable, and the General was grim and angry.

"How did this happen, Clark?" he asked.

Clark didn't even have the energy to try and hide anything from the man who had given her life. "Lois was pursuing a story, trying to figure out why so many weird things came out of Sunnydale. The priest serial killer was last seen in Sunnydale, and she wanted to interview Buffy Summers, a person who kept coming up in the stories. When she got there, she found the town pretty much deserted."

"You heard from her when she was there?" he asked.

Clark nodded. "She called me and told me that there was a group of young girls armed for battle, convinced that the town had a demonic infestation of some kind," Clark said. "I told her to walk away, to try and save herself, but you know your daughter."

General Lane nodded. "Yes. She was a fighter," he said. "Did you find the woman responsible? The girl, Buffy Summers?"

"I don't think Lois made contact with her—she said she saw her, but she never actually spoke to the woman," Clark admitted.

"She is going to pay for letting me daughter die," the General replied, his anger palpable.

Clark was pulled from his grief for a moment. "Buffy closed the hellmouth that was under that city, saving countless lives," Clark said. "She can't be blamed for what happened to Lois. Superman can or even the League—they should've known. They should've been there fighting, so that Lois wouldn't have died."

"So you're saying that Superman is the one I should blame for this?" the General asked, surprised. "He cared about my daughter."

"He did, but he failed her," Clark said grimly. It was how he felt—Lois was dead, and he alone was to blame.

Two hours later, Clark couldn't bring himself to leave the graveside. He sensed another behind him but didn't turn. Whoever it was—probably Chloe or Oliver—didn't speak but stayed silent for twenty minutes. Then they came closer and stood next to him and reached for his hand. "I am so sorry," the woman said. Clark looked down and recognized Buffy Summers, the woman who spent her time fighting demons.

Clark said nothing. For another hour, she simply stood there holding his hand. It was weird because the woman was a stranger to him, but on some level, her compassion reached out to him.

Then she spoke again. "I buried my mother on a day like this about two years ago," she said, releasing his hand and turning to face him. "She died of a brain aneurysm. One minute she was fine, and then she was just dead. The single worst day of my life, and I've had a lot of bad days."

"What's the point of all this if people die before they get a chance to live?" Clark asked, finally speaking.

Buffy's eyes met his, and her smile was bittersweet. "But Lois lived every day to the fullest, didn't she? From what I've heard about her, there was no half ways with her," Buffy said.

A ghost of smile touched his lips, and he nodded. "That's true," he said. "I was always so cautious, so worried, weighing the consequences. But Lois just jumped—she never hesitated. She was the bravest woman I ever met. She didn't have any powers, but that never stopped her."

"I knew that the moment I heard about her," Buffy said. "She came and joined our fight without even knowing what she was facing. Then when she found out, she didn't run away. She fought and saved my friend's life."

"That's my Lois. More guts than sense," Clark said, fighting the grief that threatened to overwhelm him.

"I'm really sorry," Buffy said sincerely. "I feel responsible. I was so focused on the fight that I didn't even see her."

"It's okay," he said. "I'm the only one to blame. I knew there was potential for danger, and I knew Lois. If there was trouble to be found, she'd be in the middle of it. I should've been there sooner."

"You're not God. You can't be everywhere all the time," Buffy said. "I led dozens of girls to their deaths. I made so many bad choices, and I can't ever go back and do it over. I just have to learn to live with it."

"What's the point?" Clark asked bitterly. He didn't want to go on without Lois.

"The point is we go on. To fight another day and maybe love another person. Maybe not. But the point is we don't give up. We don't let our losses defeat us or break us," she said.

"Why not?" Clark said. "Why should we fight so hard when the world keeps getting worse."

"But that's not true. We struck a strong blow when we defeated the First Evil. Willow activated all potential slayers," Buffy shared. "All over the world there are women waking up to their power, their drive to fight the darkness. They need us to guide them. And you—you are a beacon of hope to the entire world. People know that life is worth fighting because you fight for them. _You_ give them hope."

"I'm done fighting," Clark said with resolution. "I can't do it anymore. I don't want to." He turned away from Lois' grave, the sight of her casket being lowered into it burned into his brain forever.

Buffy wasn't surprised at his words because he was in pain, but she knew he'd come around. He was a hero, a real one. Unlike her, he didn't have to fight. There wasn't a supernatural urge pushing him or slayer dreams driving him. He fought because he could. However, when he simply jumped up into the air and flew away without a word, she felt a pang of disappointment.

She walked slowly to her car, feeling sad. A very attractive blonde man approached. He looked familiar, but Buffy couldn't place him. "Can I help you?" she asked.

The man handed her a card. "I'm Oliver Queen, Clark's best friend," he said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss," Buffy said.

"Lois was quite a lady," he said. "It's going to be hard to go on without her. I'm married to her cousin, Chloe. We're both devastated."

Buffy nodded. "I can imagine. It's never easy losing people we love," she said.

"I bet you know a lot about that," he said.

"More than most," Buffy said. "Have we met before?"

"Yes," he said. "I was there when you closed that hellmouth. I was hoping we could talk."

Buffy's eyes widened. "You're the guy in the green hood. The Green Arrow?" she asked, surprised.

"You know Clark's secret, and I know yours. I figured if I told you mine, you might trust my offer," he said.

"What offer is that?" she asked.

"You now have the responsibility of caring for dozens of girls with superpowers, right?" Oliver asked.

Buffy nodded. "Giles is trying to get access to the Council's funds, but he's having trouble. We've been staying with a friend, but we can't do that much longer. He's my ex, and it's too complicated."

"Yes, I'm sure it is," Oliver said. He knew everything there was to know about Buffy Summers—at least all the stuff that was public record. He'd even talked to her friend Andrew without her knowing. The man was a huge security risk, sharing too much with Oliver, a virtual stranger. All Oliver had to do was pretend to be a friend of Angel's, and Andrew was an open book—happy for an audience.

"I'm in charge of a league of superheroes," Oliver said. "I'd love to help you. My lawyers can help your friend Giles with his funding issue."

"Really? That'd be great!" Buffy said excitedly. Then she stopped. "I guess you're not doing this out of a spirit of altruism. What do you want from me?"

"An alliance," Oliver offered. "It's going to be a long time before our big gun is ready to fight again. Clark feels things deeply, and Lois' death will leave him reeling. But that doesn't mean the bad guys stop. Your team could be really helpful."

"What do you know about vampire slayers?" Buffy asked.

"Not too much. Just some things I found on the internet," he admitted. "I know it's always a girl with superhuman strength that can fight vampires and demons."

"We're not like you and your superhero friends. Some of you are metahumans. That's biological with a scientific explanation," Buffy said. "Science doesn't fit into what we are. We were empowered by the essence of a demon eons ago. Willow used magic to empower all the other slayers. Faith is the last one called in the traditional way. When one of us dies, another is called. I died once for a minute and was resuscitated, so there was another called. That's how Faith was called with me still living. She replaced Kendra, who lasted a year before a vampire slit her throat. There's always been a short life span. I mean to change things."

"That sounds pretty crazy, but I'm an open-minded guy," Oliver said. "We'd still like you to join us, and maybe we can help you change things."

"We don't hunt humans," Buffy said flatly. "Slayers are driven to fight evil, and evil is compelled to hunt us. We'd only get your people hurt or worse. Not to mention if a slayer accidentally killed a human, the guilt could drive her insane. We're slayers, not murderers."

Oliver nodded. "I get that. And I don't want to put anyone at risk," he said. "I just think we can learn from each other. Train together. Maybe if a global threat comes, you'll help us."

"Global threats come all the time," Buffy said. "I've stop eight apocalypses myself. How many have you and your team stopped?"

Oliver was caught off guard by her claim. "Well, maybe one or two. Possibly three. Brainiac was a global threat. So was Darkseid. Also, the Kryptonians," he said.

"That's good. We could've used your help in Sunnydale this past year," Buffy said, a note of accusation in her voice. "Maybe so many young girls would still be alive if you and Clark had been there sooner. Lois would still be alive."

"We didn't know," Oliver said, pointedly. "More importantly, we came as soon as we did know."

"It's not like there's a number. Call Superman 1 800 55 SUPER?" Buffy pointed out. "Besides, I was a little busy trying to stay alive."

"We try to monitor all possibly threats. Our computer person is the best in the world, but we didn't know the supernatural existed—not like this," he admitted. "There's been some contact with witches, but we didn't know there was an entire other world of demons and hellmouths."

"Now you do," she said. "But it's my domain. You stick to yours."

"Don't you think an alliance would be a good thing? We can help each other," Oliver said, not one to give up easily.

"Let me talk to my people," she said. "See what they think. It's a lot of lives at risk."

"They're already at risk," he said. "I can just help you keep them safe. Either way, I'll get my lawyers to reach out to Mr. Giles."

"Thanks," Buffy said. "I'll be in touch."

Oliver watched her drive away. "She's gone," he said.

His wife was listening in his earpiece. "That went well," Chloe said.

"As well as could be expected," Oliver said. "But she'll come around."

"What makes you think so?" Chloe wondered.

"She needs us more than she realizes," Oliver said. Herding a bunch of teenage girls with superpowers had to be a nightmare==the poor woman needed all the help she could get.

***** _Los Angeles*****_

Angel met Buffy at the airport. It was bittersweet being around him, but he was the only one besides Spike that she trusted to always have her back. Spike was dead, so he was all she had now.

"How did it go?" Angel asked her.

She shrugged. "About as well as it could be considering I inadvertently led his fiancée to her death," Buffy said flatly.

"That wasn't your fault. You had no idea she was there," Angel defended.

"That's the thing, Angel, I should've known. I should've noticed," she said in disgust. "Some kind of leader I am."

She followed him to his car parked in the lot and drove her back to his hotel. As they pulled up, he spoke. "Buffy, leaders make good calls and bad ones. Sometimes, you have to go with your gut. You've always done that and overcome impossible odds," he said. "You beat the First. You changed the fate of hundreds of girls."

"Did I have that right, Angel? Now they're targets. Each and every one of them," she said.

"And you'll train them to protect themselves," he said.

He opened the hotel doors for her. Buffy noticed an absence of girls. "Where's everyone?" she asked Dawn who was having her hair braided by Fred.

"They went patrolling. Gunn was showing them all the best spots," Dawn said. "Fred's fixing my hair like the girls in Pylea wore theirs. She said it might cheer up Lorne. It's his mother's birthday, and he misses her."

"I tried to insult him like his ma did, but he said I wasn't mean enough," Fred said, giggling. "His family is funny."

"Where's Giles?" Buffy asked.

"He's in Angel's office in the back talking to Wes," Dawn said. "Wes is so much cooler now than he used to be."

"People change," Buffy said. "Will you go get the Scoobies and Robin? Tell them I have to talk to them." She and Angel walked into his office.

"Back already?" Giles asked.

"I stayed a few hours after the funeral and talked to Clark. Then the Green Arrow approached me and offered me some help," Buffy said. "I wanted to talk to everyone about it.

When Robin came in with Faith, Willow, Kennedy, Anya, and Xander, Dawn followed them in. Buffy started to object out of habit, but then realized that Dawn had just as much right to be there as anyone else, especially if Kennedy was there.

"Who's with the girls?" she asked Kennedy.

"Vi and Ronin," Kennedy said.

"Gunn will take care of them," Angel said.

"Now they're slayers. They can take care of themselves," Anya pointed out.

Buffy nodded. "It's going to take me a while to get used to that," she admitted. "So I wanted to tell you about my conversation with the Green Arrow. He approached me after Clark left the graveside." She told them what was said.

"His help would be much appreciated," Giles said. "Angel's offered his lawyers, but I don't really want Wolfram & Hart to have access to anything to do with the Council." He gave Angel an apologetic look. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I don't blame you," Angel said. "I made a choice that I think will help me the most, but I know I'm working in a den of vipers."

"Why would you do that?" Faith asked. "Work for the enemy?"

"I don't work _for_ the enemy," Angel said coldly. "I'm a viper myself, Faith, and if they try to take a bite out of me, they'll choke to death first."

Faith held up her hands in surrender. "I was just asking," she said.

"So back to what I was saying," Buffy said. "What do you guys think? Should we let Oliver Queen help us?"

"Olive Queen is the Green Arrow?" Kennedy asked in surprise.

Buffy winced. "We need to keep a lid on that. He's a lot more high profile than Clark, so we can't tell anyone else—at least no one that won't be directly working with him," Buffy said.

"That's a good point," Giles said. "We also should let the girls know to not tell new people about Clark's identity. We're going to be bringing in a lot of girls we won't know. They'll be slayers, but that doesn't mean we should trust them with all our secrets."

"Especially not secrets that aren't ours," Buffy said.

"Clark Kent is Superman?" Wesley said, figuring out what they were talking about.

Buffy groaned. "See? I totally suck at secrets!" she complained.

"I assure you that I can keep it to myself," Wesley said. "Well, Fred might die of happiness if I told her."

Willow laughed. "You might be right. She loves her heroes," Willow said. "She told me all about Angel being her knight in shining armor in Pylea."

Buffy and Faith both snickered at Angel's obvious embarrassment.

"How about we stay on topic?" Giles said. "I think it would be a mistake to refuse Mr. Queen out of hand. Not only would his help with the Council's finances be great, but he may be able to help us in other ways."

"I think the Justice League has a super hacker of some kind working for them," Willow said. "They're fairly new, only coming out a few months after Superman. They fought off that super Ape, remember? Grodd. I read some things on the dark web that made me think they have someone doing the technical work for them. They seemed too connected. Andrew was going on about it last night."

"Speaking of Andrew," Giles said. "We've got to have a talk with him. He has no filter, and I don't think we can trust him to keep things to himself."

"Easy to manipulate," Robin agreed. "All a person would have to say is that they were a fan of Sta _r Wars_ , and he'd tell them anything."

"I'll talk to him," Xander said.

"I'll help," Faith said. "It'll take a bit of fear to keep him line."

"I can't believe that dweeb survived the final battle," Kennedy muttered.

"Well, he has the right to work for his redemption," Giles said. "Besides, he _is_ incredibly smart. With the Watcher's Council mostly gone, we need men with his intelligence if we hope to rebuild."

"If we give him a job of some kind, one he's solely in charge of, it'll keep him occupied and out of trouble," Robin suggested.

"I think having him begin recording all the bios of the slayers is a start," Giles said. "We need a record of all of them, a bit of history. The new ones can all begin with him interviewing them."

"Yea, if they can survive time with him, they'll be just fine!" Faith said, laughing.

"He fought just like everyone else," Anya said, feeling compelled to defend the guy who fought with her and Lois. Poor Lois. Anya had taken a lot of lives in her years as a demon, but nothing made her feel as guilty as knowing she was the reason Superman's love was dead. Not feeling like being around anyone, she walked out of the room.

"She's still upset that Lois died saving her," Xander explained. "I'll go talk to her." He followed her out of the room.

"So it's decided?" Buffy asked, looking at everyone else. "We'll take Oliver's help and agree to his alliance?"

"I think it's a good idea, Buffy," Willow said. "We're going to need help, and he has contacts all over the world."

Buffy pulled out Oliver Queen's card. "Okay, I'll give him a call," she said.

***** _Fortress of Solitude*****_

Clark was pacing in his fortress, the cold unnoticed by him. "I can't believe she's gone," he said to Jor El, his father's AI embodiment.

"I am so sorry, my son," his dad said.

"I can't live without her," Clark said. "I refuse to!"

"Kal El, she was human. You are not. As long as the sun shines on this planet, you will live," Jor El said. "Her death was inevitable."

"But that should've been decades!" Clark said. "She was cut down too soon!"

"Yes," his father agreed.

"I don't want to feel like this," Clark said, feeling the agony of her loss.

"If you want to think about something else for a while, we can continue your training," Jor El said.

"Do you know about the evil creatures that live in this planet? Why didn't I know about demons and hellmouths?" Clark asked angrily.

A closet opened up. "Come inside, son, and I will give you all the information that I have," his father said.

Clark knew that time for an AI wasn't like time for the rest of the world. If he went inside his father's chamber of knowledge, there was no telling how much time would pass. Did he really care?

Make a choice, he walked to the chamber and stepped inside.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_Show your love and review!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know in many stories I've written and probably in the BTVS comics and other stories, it has there being hundreds of potentials. It seems we don't ever think about the fact that all the potentials were hunted down and killed by the Bringers and most fled to Sunnydale that were still alive. For this story, I'm limiting the number to a more manageable amount.

_ ******A Month Later***** _

Buffy couldn't believe how fast things came together once Oliver Queen became involved. Giles and she met him for lunch, and then two days later, Giles met with some lawyers. Within a week, all the old Council's assets were under Giles' control. He, Xander and Robin began searching out all those that worked for the Council. The First had blown up all the main players—all who worked in the headquarters like Wesley and Giles' own fathers. Giles had never vocalized it to Buffy, and she was horrified when she finally learned that both the men had lost their father's that day. Giles knew it was only the beginning. His mother had many contacts and was determined to help her son, which was good since they really needed help.

Buffy and company flew to England to a secondary property the Council owned. To the Americans, it was a large castle. To Giles, it was a large manor.

Wesley came with Giles to help, and Buffy was hoping that he'd stay. They needed him much more than Angel did.

"Buffy, I did a locating spell," Willow said, coming into the room with Dawn and Faith on her heels.

"You located more slayers?" Buffy asked.

Willow rolled out a large world atlas. There were dark marks scattered all over the map. "It looks like more potentials than we realized were murdered by the First. It looks like there's about a hundred or so left who are now slayers," she said.

"They're everywhere. So many countries," Buffy said in awe. "Five in the U.S. and two in Canada. There seems to be several in Mexico, Central and South America."

"We're definitely going to need a Spanish speaker to recruit there," Willow said.

"Doesn't Anya speak Spanish?" Buffy asked.

"I think she speaks like every language," Willow said. "But she's a bit blunt to throw at newbies."

"So we'll have Xander there with her," Buffy said.

"You don't think that'll be awkward for them?" Willow asked.

"It'll give them a chance to either work things out or get on to just being friends," Buffy said.

"You might want to talk to Robin," Faith said. "I think he speaks Spanish. Shouldn't we save Anya for more obscure languages?"

"Good point," Buffy said.

"I know French," Dawn said.

"I know a bit, too," Buffy said.

"So we should totally take those two France dots!" Dawn said excitedly.

Buffy smiled, thinking it would be good to spend time with her sister just the two of them. "Okay," she said.

"Really?" Dawn asked in surprise.

"Why not?" Buffy said. She winced at Dawn's shriek of happiness.

"Dad's currently in Spain working, so we can stop and visit him and make him fund the trip," Buffy said with a smirk. The bastard hadn't been sending child support payments, so she knew he'd do it.

"The Council will fit the bill, Buffy," Willow said.

"I know, but I want our dear ole dad to cough up some money," Buffy said.

"We can go shopping in Paris!" Dawn said excitedly.

"Most definitely!" Buffy agreed.

Dawn couldn't take her excitement and ran off to tell everyone she could.

***** _Another Month later*****_

"I can't believe he's not called," Chloe complained to Oliver. They were at the Watchtower, and Oliver had just gotten back from a mission.

"He'll call when he's ready," Oliver said.

"It's been two months, Ollie. Clark has never not talked to me that long since we were kids," Chloe said.

"He lost the woman he loved, and he's got major guilt complex going," Oliver said. "It's going to take time."

"Perry already made me write an article speculating on Superman's disappearance," Chloe said. "When the world starts noticing that no one has seen Superman around, it's a problem."

"Well, the world's just going to have to make do without him for a while," Oliver said. He walked over and pulled his wife into his arms.

"What if he never comes back?" Chloe asked worriedly. She laid her head against Oliver's chest.

"He will," Oliver said confidently. "He cares too much about people to stay away for long." Oliver knew where Clark's fortress was and knew that was probably where Clark was right now. However, he wouldn't intrude on the man's grief unless the world was coming to an end.

For everyone's sake, he hoped that would never happen.

_ *****Another Month Later***** _

Buffy was leading a team in Cleveland, Ohio. Some demon clans had united when word spread that there was more than one slayer around. Fear had destroyed old prejudices and allowed previous enemies to work together to thwart their common enemy: the slayer. Now it was slayers plural, and they weren't going to take this new development lying down. Xander and Anya had managed to work an alliance with a few of the less violent prone demon clans. However, the most vicious were determined to kill slayers on sight. Things had gotten so bad in the States that Buffy left Dawn in England with Giles. Faith was down in South America dealing with a developing hellmouth. Kennedy and Willow were handling Cleveland while Buffy helped Giles with the reorganization of the Council. However, she had to stop all that and come to Cleveland. Willow and Kennedy weren't seeing eye to eye on how to handle things.

Willow stayed at the base while Kennedy took a team to the south end of town. Buffy took the north. She had a team of four slayers and one of the Justice League members, the speedster. His name was Bart, and so far, Buffy found him as annoying as Andrew. However, she knew that he was even faster than Superman. She had agreed with Oliver that she'd take one member of his team for a week or two at time until all of them had a chance to understand her world and slayers. So far, Bart was the first to join them.

Bart was swinging his sword around like a kid trying out a new toy. Buffy glanced at her slayer Michele. "Did you evaluate his ability to use that? Or is he going to accidentally cut off his own body part?" she asked.

"He's actually quite good with it," Michele told her. Michele was a tall, willowy brunette who reminded Buffy of Cordy except she didn't have much of a sense a humor or Cordy's biting sarcasm. "He's so fast that his reflexes instinctively help him master the blade."

Buffy was glad to hear that and led the team to the cemetery near the forest preserve. There was a growl heard by only one person, and Bart's eyes lit up, causing him to blur away.

"He needs to not run so fast toward danger," Buffy muttered, running to catch up. Then she heard a very high-pitched scream and picked up the pace.

All the girls followed Buffy, running at full speed, and then stopped to see Bart standing transfixed, a look of horror on his face at a three headed, reptilian like demon.

"Bart, are you okay?" Buffy called out.

"It-it has _three_ heads!" Bart exclaimed, his voice breaking. The creature slashed at him with his claws, and he jumped back, tripping over a headstone.

Buffy snickered at the wanna-be superhero. "This demon isn't that bright or that fast, Bart. You should be able to take him," she called out.

"It has three heads!" Bart said, scrambling to his feet.

Buffy laughed and took out her scythe. "Here, Michele. Show him how it's done," Buffy said.

Michele grinned and took a swing, easily cutting through its three heads with the blade.

"That's it? Not even a well fought battle?" Bart asked, feeling offended.

"It's a Ghora demon," Buffy said. "They are tough if they catch you unaware, but not much for fighting. However, they do have magic eggs. I'll need to head back and tell Willow. Their eggs are reputed to heal or something. I'm sure she'll want to check them out."

"A Ghora demon?" Bart asked, looking down at the heads. He pulled out his phone and snapped some pictures. "I don't think anyone would believe me without evidence."

"Girls, you guys try to find its nest and watch out for another," Buffy said. "Bart and I will go find Willow."

The girls nodded and moved in a scatter formation. Buffy told Bart, "Grab the heads. We can't just leave them there. There's a dumpster down that alley we passed. We'll throw them in."

"Seriously?" Bart asked in disgust.

"Vamps don't have any clean up, but demons do. It's a one of the wonderful perks of our job," Buffy said, slapping him on the back as she went and picked up a head. With a grin, she threw it. "Catch!"

Bart glared as he caught the disgusting head. "You are seriously disturbed!" Bart informed her. However, he did grab the second head and followed her out of the cemetery.

He spent three days in Cleveland sparring with slayers and watching them work. Then he got back on Oliver's jet and headed to Metropolis.

Victor and Dinah were at the Watchtower talking to Chloe when he arrived.

"Hey, Bart. How was hell town?" Dinah asked.

Bart shuddered. "Those girls are insane! Where's Oliver?" he asked.

"He's down in Star City. He's thinking of moving operations there," Chloe shared.

"Really? Why?" Bart asked.

"It's his hometown and the criminal element is getting stronger," Chloe said. "This town is under control even without Clark."

"So was Cleveland sick fun?" AC asked as he came into the tower.

"I got sick, but I can't say fun is the right word," Bart said, throwing himself into a chair.

"You were sick?" Chloe asked in concern. "You're never sick."

"Well, I wasn't really sick, but I felt sick after Buffy made me carry two demon heads to the trash!" he complained.

"Seriously?" AC asked.

"They were two of the _three_ heads on this demon!" Bart said. "Buffy mocked me for being scared and didn't even kill it herself. She gave the job to one of her minions!"

"I don't think she considers her slayers minions, Bart," Chloe said, fighting back a smile.

He pulled out his phone. "I have documentation in cause you wanna doubt me."

Dinah was closest and grabbed the phone. "Wow! That's really disturbing!" she said.

The phone was passed around, and Chloe sent a copy of it to her phone. "So you learned a lot working with the slayers?" she asked.

"I learned that those girls never get tired, are afraid of nothing, and eat almost as much as I do," Bart said. "Demons are, like, very real. I'm going to have to start going to church again."

Dinah laughed. "It sounds fun," she said.

"That's 'cause you're almost as crazy as those girls," Bart muttered.

"I'm totally going have to spend some time on this hellmouth. Sounds like a totally good time!" AC said with a grin.

Bart groaned.

***** _Another Month*****_

Buffy woke up with a gasp. She was in Star City to meet with Oliver Queen and some others that he wanted her to know. However, she'd been awakened by a dream that was definitely a slayer dream. It was dark and disturbing but unclear. She saw vampires, but they were not like the vampires she knew. They were not like the ones she battled when she closed the hellmouth.

What did it mean?

***** _Fortress of Solitude*****_

Kal-El, known to the world as Superman, and known to his friends as Clark Kent, was receiving the language of Krypton, the history, and the religion. The Sun God, called Rao, long ago mapped out all universes even where Earth was. He put down the evil that walked the Earth and decided that his offspring needed to be given humility, so he went far away and created Krypton. Krypton was a planet were only the strong flourished, and he put a red sun in the sky to mold his seed.

Kal-El and his cousin were all that was left of the once great people of Rao.

Kal-El would know his history, and he would understand his legacy.

He was not just hope for humankind.

He was the hope of Rao.

Rao's ancient enemy existed deep in the Earth, and it would awaken.

****** _Chapter End******_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I am completely making up the Rao stuff. All I know about Rao I learned from watching Supergirl, and I thought it'd be fun to bring him some mythology into this tale.
> 
> If you're like me and watch The Flash or the Arrow, it's hard to picture the Oliver and Bart from Smallville now since it's been so long. As much as I did love Justin Hartley as Oliver Queen, he was more of a leader and not as dark as our current Oliver. Bart Allen, however, was VASTLY different from the Barry on the CW now. He was also younger than Barry from today's show. I hope you enjoyed this portrayal/update. More to come. Reviews are the best gift you can give!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kara aka Supergirl is now in the story starting with this chapter. For those that remember, she was LOADS better as Supergirl than the current TV show (in my opinion).

***** _Another Month Later*****_

Kara El, known on Earth as Kara Kent stopped in Smallville to check on Martha, who wasn't really her aunt, but she'd always treated Kara like family. Therefore, Kara adored her. Marth had even encouraged her to get her GED and begin college classes.

"Martha?" she asked called after she knocked, and no one answered.

She opened the door and went inside. Martha was on the phone and motioned for her to come in.

"Okay, I appreciate it, Chloe. Let me know," she said. She hung up, smiling at Kara. "Kara, it's so good to see you!" She gave her a hug, obviously happy to see her.

"You, too," she said. "I just came to see if you'd heard from Clark yet?"

"No, I was actually just talking to Chloe about that," she said. "She's not heard a word. It's been months. I'm really scared. Why hasn't he called me? Is he okay?"

"I'm sure he's just processing things. You know how much he loved Lois," she said.

"I know. I was married for two decades and lost Jonathan," Martha replied. "I know how awful it is. I had Clark to keep going, so I made myself push past the pain and grief. If I hadn't had him to get up for every morning, I'm not sure if I would've made it. That's why I'm so scared for Clark. Isolation is no way to process grief—it's the way to wallow and grow bitter."

"I'm sure he's at his fortress. I'll go check on him and make sure he's okay," Kara offered.

"Will you? That'd be so great!" Martha said in relief. "Thank you!"

Kara hugged her once more and flew to the fortress of ice that Clark went to when he wanted answers from his Kryptonian father or needed to be alone. Kara was one of the few people who knew where it was and had no problem getting there.

When she arrived at the ice fortress, she saw Clark inside the communication chamber. "Kal!" she called. When he didn't answer, she used his human name. "Clark!"

Clark looked up and stepped out. "Kara? Is everything okay?" he asked.

She went up to him, glaring. "How can you ask that? You've been gone for months!" she exclaimed. "Your mother is worried sick. Why haven't you called?"

"I guess I didn't realize it'd been that long," he said, feeling guilty.

Kara pulled him close for a hug. "We care about you, Kal. You can't disappear," she said.

Clark hugged her back. "I'm sorry, Kara. It's just been so much," he said. Kara pulled back to look up at him.

"I know, Kal," she said. "I'm so sorry that Lois is gone. It shouldn't have happened."

"No, it shouldn't have," Clark said, grimly.

"We all miss her," Kara said.

"I can't believe it, Kara," Clark said, a hollow look in his eyes. "She shouldn't have been at that hellmouth, but more importantly, the hellmouth shouldn't have been there."

"Yea, it's pretty crazy," Kara said.

"No, you don't understand," Clark said, an urgency to him that Kara hadn't ever witnessed. "Jor El has been showing me so much about our history, Kara, and the history of this planet. There's so much we didn't know. You have to listen to what he has to say. I need your help."

"Of course, Kal. I'll help you," she assured him.

"Go into the booth and talk to Jor El. He will explain," Clark said.

"You'll go see your mom?" Kara asked.

Clark nodded. "Yes, I will. But first I have to take care of something," he said. "Go hear what Jor El has to tell you."

"Okay," she agreed. "I'm here for you, Kal. Just because you lost Lois, it doesn't mean that you're alone."

"I know," Clark said. "Thanks." He watched her get into the chamber. "Jor El, teach her what you showed me about Earth and our own history on this planet. Tell her about Rao."

"I will, my son," Jor El said.

He was dressed in his Clark attire, but he went into another chamber, coming out in a new outfit that fit his somber mood. His family crest was on his chest in gold, but the black attire fit his purposes much better. Without the cape, he felt a bit strange when he launched into the air. However, he had a new mission now. Earth's darkness was so much deeper than he had ever known. Lois' death was not an isolated event, and Clark now knew of the ancient battle that his ancestors had fought after Rao created them.

He knew the power behind one of the greatest sources of darkness on the planet. An evil that worked in the human world, empowering all kinds of evil.

Wolfram & Hart, once the Wolf, Ram, and Hart, an ancient evil that predated humanity. Now they were disguised as a law firm, using the great freedoms in America to exploit others and violate all human laws and rights of sentient beings. Clark would start with the biggest office in America and work his way through them all.

No longer would Clark waste time on petty criminals when there was a global threat to humanity growing stronger all the time.

He would root out all traces of Wolfram & Hart and destroy them. Vampires and all demonic creatures that sought to kill humans would die. Jor El had taught him that there were such creatures that had no right to life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness as they sought only to pervert, destroy, and violate humans in every way possible.

He arrived shortly to the New York City downtown offices of Wolfram & Hart. As he entered the building, employees were startled at his appearance. He used his x-ray vision to detect heartbeats, and when he saw that vampires were working there, his anger increased. What Jor El had shown him about this place was true. They _did_ employee vampires. Determined, he approach the front desk.

"Can I help you, sir?" the woman asked.

"Yes, do you know who I am?" Clark asked, never one to use his fame. However, he needed access to whoever was in charge.

The girl nodded. "Yes, sir. How can I help you?" she asked.

"I need to see whoever is in charge of this law firm," he asked. "Do you know who that is?"

"That would be Mr. Massey," she replied.

"Where's his office?" he asked.

"He's on the top floor," she said. "Let me call him."

Clark waited as she made her call, ignoring the looks from bystanders.

"Sir, if you take the elevator, someone will meet you at the top floor and direct you to his office," she said.

Clark nodded. "Thank you," he said. He turned to leave, but then he paused, looking at her. "Why do you work here?"

"They pay really well," she said.

"So money is more important than your soul?" Clark asked, giving her a look of disappointment. She flushed and looked guilty. Finally, he turned and walked toward the elevator.

When the elevator stopped at the top floor, he saw that a man was waiting for him.

"It is an honor to meet you, Superman," the guy said, smiling at him. "Wolfram & Hart will be glad to handle any of your legal needs."

"Where is Mr. Massey?" Clark asked.

"This way, sir," he replied, leading Clark to the corner office. The door read Miles Massey.

When Clark stepped in, an attractive man in his forties, rose and came around his large desk to greet Clark.

"This is an honor, sir," he said, holding out his hand. He smiled easily and seemed warm and personable. However, Clark knew that he had sold his soul to get where he was, putting his own greed ahead of humanity. "Miles Massey. How can I help you, Superman?"

"You can stop aiding in the corruption of Americans, the defiling of innocents, and the empowering of evil men and women," Clark said grimly. "You can stop hiring vampires and aiding the demonic community."

Massey's friendly air left as he contemplated the man before him. He was clearly Superman even if he was dressed much soberly. Massy knew how invulnerable the man was, so he knew he had to proceed with caution. Making an enemy out of this man would not be good for his bottom line or his continued good health. How should he play this? He thought about what he little he knew about the alien man and went with his instincts.

"Do not all creatures deserve the right to a good lawyer?" he asked.

"Manipulating the law for your own selfish gain isn't what it's for," Clark said coldly. "Helping murders and other monsters not just exist but flourish makes you even worse than them."

"Maybe," he said with an easy smile. "However, I don't harm anyone any more than a parent of a murderer. Are they responsible for the actions of their offspring?"

"It depends on whether or not the parent is actively aiding and abetting," Clark said coolly. "I am not here to debate you, however. I am here to put you and your law firm on notice. As I've recently been made aware of the supernatural world that exists on this planet, I will be doing my part to protect the world from the threats it represents. Your senior partners are actual demons, and you wouldn't be in charge of the largest American office if you didn't know that. That tells me you don't care who or what signs your paycheck. That tells me you are beyond redemption. Although I will never violate my policy of never actively hurting humans, I will root out any vampires or demons I find in your employment and destroy them. I will not tolerate the blatant embracing of such evil anywhere on this planet."

"Are you sure this is a fight you want to take on?" Miles asked in concern. Even though he had lost his soul a long time ago, he knew that this man was one who believed in the innate goodness of mankind. Finding out that didn't really exist would mar him in ways he couldn't foresee. The knowledge made Miles a bit sad. Superman wasn't human and didn't have the same human weaknesses. However, he was plagued by this unfailing optimism—optimism that would lead to his downfall.

"It is," Clark said.

Miles nodded. "I understand," he said with regret. "I hope you know the battle you are taking on and how far the power of the senior partners reach."

Clark nodded. "I do," he said. "Thank you for your time."

He gave the man one last nod and then walked out of the office. Then he went out the door and through the building. Detecting one vampire on the floor, he used his heat vision to kill it. When it turned to ash, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Vampires fed on the death of humans, feeding on them like they were a food source. People screamed at his violent action.

"What are you doing?" another man called out.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Clark said. "Did you not know that man was a vampire? You might want to talk to your boss. I'm going to look for any more. I assure you that if I find any more in this building, I will take care of them for you. Protecting humans is what I do." After giving the man an easy smile, he turned toward the stairwell.

Clark repeated his actions on every floor. By the time he got down ten floors, word had spread, and the vampires began trying to flee the building. Security guards were left confused and afraid. They knew their bullets would ricochet if they tried to harm him. Knowing that the vampires were trying to leave, Clark picked up the pace, moving through the building in a blur. When he made it to the lobby floor, he felt a sense of grim satisfaction at his accomplishment.

This was just the beginning.

Miles Massey watched from his window as Superman flew away. Then he picked up his phone.

"We have a problem," he said. "The Senior Partners need to be called. There's a new player on the board."

The Man of Steel had finally taken notice of the Earth's supernatural underbelly, and the consequences of his involvement would shake the world.

_ *****To Be Continued***** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you recognized the name Miles Massey, it comes from a George Clooney movie, Intolerable Cruelty. I'm picturing and using him for this role as he played a smarmy lawyer in it. I see the head of the law firm to be very charismatic, even charming.


	6. Meeting the Ex

_******Still in New York******_

After Clark left the New York branch of Wolfram & Hart, he moved to the location in Boston and did the same thing. Then he went to Philadelphia and Chicago, killing vampires after issuing his ultimatum to each branch's head. After going to Houston, Miami, Las Vegas, and Kansas City, he went to several other of their offices across the globe, cleaning out the vampires. Then he stopped back at his Fortress.

"Kara?" he said as he stepped inside.

She stepped out of the communication chamber. "You were right, Kal. We have to do something about this. The threat to this planet is great, and the evil is deeply rooted," she said.

Clark smiled. "I knew that you'd feel that way," he said. "I've been going to several offices of Wolfram & Hart offices and putting them on notice. I've killed all the vampires working for them."

"That's good," Kara said. "Did you see any demons?"

Clark nodded. "Yes, but demons are sentient beings. I don't won't to kill them out of hand," he said. "Some species are peaceful. They could be working for the law firm because it's the only place they can work as themselves."

"That's a good point," she said. "In many ways, demons are like aliens. Some aliens are like us, and some could be bad like Brainiac."

"Yes, I know. I figured I'd get with Buffy, the slayer should know things like that," Clark said.

"What do you need me to do?" Kara asked.

"Go home, and I'll track down the slayer. I'm sure Chloe or Oliver can tell me where she is," Clark said.

"Okay," Kara said.

"Your support means a lot in this, Kara," Clark told her.

Kara reached out and squeezed his hand. "You're my only family. I'll always be there for you, Clark," she said.

Clark smiled and hugged her. "Thanks," he said. "I'll see you soon."

Kara nodded and watched him fly off. It was good that he had something to distract him from his sorrow.

***** _Metropolis*****_

Clark flew into the Watch Tower, and his friends looked up in surprise.

"Clark!" Chloe said, jumping and running to hug him.

"Where you been?" Bart asked.

"Where's Oliver?" Clark said.

"He's with Vic. I'll call him and tell him to come," Chloe said, pulling out her phone.

"Can you get Dinah and A.C. to come also?" Clark asked Bart.

"Sure thing, Clark," Bart said, pulling out his own phone.

A half hour later, all the current members of the Justice League were there. After greeting Clark in relief, Oliver said, "We're glad you're back. We've missed our Boy Scout."

"He's not looking like a Boy Scout dressed in that black," Bart said.

"It fits my mood," Clark said soberly. "I've been talking to Jar-El, and what happened in Sunnydale isn't an isolated event."

"We know, Clark," Oliver said. "We've been working with Buffy and the slayers."

"Dude, wait until you see my pictures of this three-headed demon," Bart said, pulling out his phone.

Clark looked at the images on Bart's phone. "So you've gotten a chance to fight actual demons," he said. "Good for you. I'm not going to bother with human criminals anymore."

"That's our mission, Clark. Buffy says if things get bad on their end, she'll call us," Oliver said.

"Well, my mission has changed. Do you know how to reach her?" Clark asked.

"Yes," Oliver said. "She's taking us on training exercises. Bart and Dinah have had their turn. A.C. is going next week to train on the hellmouth in Ohio. That's where Buffy is most of the time."

"Faith, her number two, stays there full-time, but that's where they train the slayers," Chloe explained.

"I'm moving us out of Metropolis to Star City. The criminal element there is getting out of hand," Oliver said.

Clark nodded. "I guess you need to do what you need to do. Let me tell you what else I've discovered," Clark begin. "There's this law firm . . ."

When he was done, Oliver was grim. "This is huge, Clark. Taking on a law firm like that won't be easy."

Clark nodded. "I know. Their Senior Partners are actual demons. It's not going to be easy," he said.

"Clark, you do know that Buffy's ex is in charge of the Los Angeles office," Chloe shared.

"Really? He's a lawyer?" Clark asked.

"Not at all. He's been fighting the law firm in L.A. for the past four years, and they say he won. They gave him the office as a reward," Chloe said.

"Buffy's team is highly suspicious of the move," Oliver added.

"Buffy says that Angel is a vampire with a soul—a Champion for the Powers and that he gets visions to help people," Chloe said. "It's kind of weird that he'd make such a move."

"I will talk to Buffy before I go see him," Clark said. "I've been to several of the branches, killing all the vampires I see. Kara's on board to help."

"That's a hornet's nest your kicking over," A.C. said.

"They won't like that," Victor said.

"Oliver will need to talk to Bruce Wayne. He's another trust fund baby turned philanthropist. I bet we can get Mr. Wayne to help us target these companies that are clients of Wolfram and Hart," Chloe suggested. "The way to destroy a company is to hit them where it hurts the most—their pocketbooks."

"That's a good idea," Clark said.

"Involving Wayne is not. He doesn't really care about anything—I know that guy. He's just like I used to be," Oliver said.

"People change, Oliver. You did," Clark said. "You won't know until you talk to him."

"Fine," Oliver agreed. "You target them physically, and we'll come at them covertly. I don't want the team battling demons unless they have to—like end of the world stuff. The slayers are everywhere now, and they are actually programmed to fight them."

"What exactly does that mean?" Clark asked.

"They have a built-in ability to fight creatures stronger than they are. They heal really fast, and they can sense evil," Oliver explained.

"Willow did a spell that night Lois died to empower all the potential slayers," Chloe explained, venturing to mention Lois' name. Clark flinched only slightly. "Now all the potentials in the world are slayers. The First Evil killed off most of them that hadn't fled to Sunnydale, but there's still over a hundred or so."

"We've got to get more people to know what's happening," Clark said.

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"The world needs to know," Clark said.

The team looked at him with various degrees of dismay and shock. "What?" Dinah asked. "You want to tell people that there are real Boogie Mans out there?"

"That vampires and demons live among them?" Bart asked, wide-eyed at the thought.

"People deserve to know the truth," Clark said. "It's the only way they can prepare."

"You can't be serious!" Chloe exclaimed. "People can't handle this kind of thing, Clark. You'll cause world-wide panic."

"Maybe at first, but they'll be better for knowing," Clark said stubbornly.

"No one will thank you for destroying their peace of mind," Oliver said.

"We're protectors, Clark, not destroyers of illusions," Chloe said.

Clark wasn't going to argue with them, but he did say, "Keeping people in the dark only feeds groups like Wolfram & Hart. They need a light to shine on the dark places in order to expose it." He turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Chloe called out.

"I'm going to go see Buffy," Clark said.

"Okay. I'll text you her address," Chloe said. "Don't stay gone so long."

Clark didn't want to make promises he couldn't keep, so he flew off the balcony without replying.

Chloe exchanged a look with her husband. "I don't like this, Ollie," she said.

"Well, at least he's not hiding away in his fortress anymore," Oliver said.

"Do you think he's for real?" Bart asked.

"I don't think Clark knows how to joke—at least not like that," Oliver said.

"Are we prepared for the fallout if he does do what he said?" Chloe asked.

"We'll have to be, won't we?" Oliver said. Now he had to figure out how he was going to talk to Bruce Wayne.

****** _Ohio*****_

Faith sat down at the table, joining Buffy and Dawn. Laptops were in front of the three of them. Giles, Xander, and Willow were Skyping with them as Xander was in Africa gathering slayers there while Giles and Willow were in England. Willow was training some more with the coven while Kennedy worked with slayers in Europe.

"So Africa has a few slayers that are willing to go to Europe and be trained," Xander said.

"That's good," Buffy said.

"Have you seen any cool animals?" Dawn asked.

"Lots. It's an incredible place, Dawnie," Xander said.

"I so want to visit Africa," Dawn said.

"One day," Buffy promised.

"There's been some rumbling in the supernatural world," Giles said. "It seems that Superman has been attacking Wolfram & Hart and issuing out a clear threat about hiring vampires and demons."

"Good for him," Faith said.

"It's upset the balance even more, Faith," Willow said.

"You've both been having dreams about a new big bad coming," Xander pointed out.

"Then Clark getting involved is a good thing. More firepower," Buffy said. For the past month, she and Faith and several other slayers, had all gotten the warning—a new threat was on the horizon.

"Yes, but he's too naïve to take on Wolfram & Hart. He doesn't know anything about the supernatural world," Giles said.

"So we'll teach him," Buffy said.

"There's already increased dark activity being registered across the globe that I believe is a direct result of the balance we upset when we changed the world," Willow added.

"What places?" Buffy asked.

"Well, Star City, Gotham, Los Angeles, New York City, New Delhi to name a few," Giles listed.

"Well, Oliver's got Star City covered and Angel's in Los Angeles," Buffy said. "Dawn and I can go to New York. She's been talking about Columbia or NYU for school anyway." She glanced at her sister.

Dawn grinned. "That would be awesome! We could get to know the city and make sure I like it there enough to go to school," she said.

"What about Oxford?" Giles asked.

"I'll apply, but it's hard to get in there," Dawn said.

"I'll go to Gotham," Faith said. "Ohio is boring as can be. This hellmouth is a pussy cat, and Vi can handle it."

"Okay," Giles said. "That sounds good."

They shared a bit more gossip before saying goodbye.

Buffy and Faith started planning their next move when the doorbell rang. A minute later, one of the girls yelled, "Buffy, you have a visitor."

They went into the living room to see Clark dressed as a darker Superman.

"Hey, Superman. It's good to see you again," Buffy said, smiling at him.

"Buffy. Sorry to drop in like this," Clark said, holding out his hand to her.

"It's cool," she said. "I don't think you've met Faith. She's my number two. I'm about to send her to Gotham to work for a bit." Faith had seen him at the final battle, but he was too devastated for pleasantries that day.

Clark nodded. "I was going to go there very soon myself and have a little talk with that city's branch of Wolfram & Hart," he said.

"Yes, we've heard about your new hobby," Faith said, grinning. "Are you just playing, or do you really want to get into the war we're fighting?"

"I'm deadly serious," Clark said. He glanced at Buffy. "I've learned a lot, and I can't live on this planet and pretend like I don't know the kind of threats that are out there."

"Superman, fighting the supernatural isn't what you do," Buffy said. "It takes its toll. You're a beacon of hope for the entire world. I can't ask you to get involved. It's slayer business, and I'm not alone anymore."

"It's been made really clear to me just how great a threat Wolfram & Hart is to this planet and the people living on it," Clark said. "I'm not going to stand by and allow the good people on this planet to be deceived any longer."

Buffy looked at Faith who shrugged. Then she nodded. "Okay. I get that. Welcome to the team," she said. "What do you want to do first?"

"I want to know about Angel and what he's doing working for Wolfram & Hart," Clark said grimly.

"Honestly, I've not talked to him about it," Buffy said. When they were in L.A., she had too much going on to deal with his new career choice.

"I have. It's cool. Angel knows what he's doing," Faith said. "He's going to fight them from the inside."

"That's a fool's errand," Clark said.

"Well, I'm not sure what he's doing, but I know Angel," Buffy said. "He's a hero, and he would never allow himself to work for Wolfram & Hart without a good reason."

"He better have a good one, or I'll treat him the way I've treated all the other vampires Wolfram & Hart have working for them," Clark warned.

Buffy and Faith both glared at him. "You try and hurt Angel, we'll have a serious problem," Buffy said.

"Angel is the best man I've ever known," Faith said. "He didn't give up on me when everyone else did. He saved me."

"He has a soul. He and Spike are the only two vampires that have them. Spike's dead—he died closing the hellmouth, but Angel is still fighting," Buffy said. "I don't know why he's with Wolfram & Hart, but I'll find out."

"I'm going to go there. I'll find out myself," Clark said.

"Trust me. Angel is a hero," Faith said. She got up. "I'm going to tell Vi what we're planning. It's nice meeting you, Superman."

"You, too," Clark said.

"Are you going to sit down?" Buffy asked, gesturing to the sofa she was sitting on.

"Okay," Clark said, sitting near her but leaving a lot of space between them.

"Can I tell you about Angel?" she asked.

"If you want," Clark said.

So Buffy did. She told Clark about how they met, how Angel helped her, and how they fell in love. Then she told him about finding out about the curse and how he changed. Then how she sent him to hell, and how he was returned to her. Then she told him how he'd walked away from her, leaving her to fight all her battles alone.

Clark was surprised by her story—and moved.

"I loved Angel more than anything, and I killed him to save the world," Buffy said. "When he came back to me, I thought it was the universe saying that I wasn't wrong for loving a vampire. That it was okay after all. Then he walked away without a backward glance."

"I'm sorry," Clark said, feeling for her.

"I know he loves me, but his curse keeps us from being together," she said.

"Do you still love him?" Clark asked, curious.

"A part of me will always love him, but it's been years since we were together," Buffy said. "A vampire slayer loving a vampire is a cosmic joke, but no matter what happens, I know that Angel is a good man, who will always try to do what's right."

Clark nodded. "Okay," he said. "I have a plan to help him with Wolfram & Hart."

"You do?" Buffy asked.

"I have a cousin that's like me. My only biological family," Clark shared. "She can go to Los Angeles and help Angel so that the Senior Partners don't find him an easy victim."

"He's not an easy victim," Buffy defended.

"It won't hurt to have back up in place, though, right?" Clark pointed out.

"I suppose not," Buffy said.

Clark stood. "I'll meet you in New York in two weeks. Will that give you enough time to move there?" he asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yes," she said. "We'll give you a crash course in demon hunting 101."

Clark smiled. "I'll see you soon," he said.

He walked out of the front door, not noticing the black SUV that was watching the house.

The soldier pulled out his phone and called the general.

"Superman visited the slayer," he said.

General Lane was silent as he thought of that implication. Superman was targeting Wolfram & Hart, and now he was visiting the slayer.

"This complicates things," he said to his soldier. He hung up and looked at his aid. "We can't move on the slayer. Not yet. We have to see what Superman is going to do next. Scooping up Summers and her team is one thing. Taking on Superman is quite another." He would wait to see which way the chips would fall.

***** _Los Angeles*****_

Clark flew into Los Angeles, landing in front Wolfram & Hart. He went to the receptionist, who was looking at him shock.

"You're Superman!" the girl shrieked excitedly.

"I am," Clark replied. "I need to speak with the man in charge of this branch. I believe his name is Angel."

"He's on the top floor. I'll tell him you're coming," the receptionist told Clark.

Angel stood when Superman walked into his office. He'd already gotten a call of warning by the higher ups. Superman was on the war path, and Angel was a vampire.

"How can I help you, Superman?" Angel asked.

Superman approached his desk. "You and I need to talk," he said.

Clark would determine whether or not Angel was the man Buffy thought he was. If he wasn't, Clark would take him out like he had all the other vampires he'd encountered working for Wolfram & Hart.

***** _Chapter End*****_


	7. Team Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For those that missed out on watching all five seasons of Angel, I wanted to clarify that the timeline is early season 5 of Angel. Cordy eventually dies because of her coma after appearing to Angel and passing on her vision to him. That happens a few months from the current timeline as now Spike is still a ghost, and Cordy is still alive but in a coma. The team is still unaware that Angel had a son and their memories were altered.

***** _Los Angeles*****_

Angel wasn't sure what to expect when Superman appeared in front of him, clearly judging him. However, he was determined to win the man to his side.

"Hello," Angel said. "I'm Angel, the CEO here. I believe we have mutual friends." The slayers had been more than free with the fact that Superman had shown up after the fight against the First was over.

"Yes, I have spoken to Buffy about you," Clark said. "She thinks you're a good guy even though you are working for the Wolf, Ram, and Hart—real demons. My name is Kal-El."

"If you will have a seat, I can explain why I agreed to work for them," Angel said, offering a seat in front of his desk to the man. Angel had been around enough powerful beings to recognize one. Superman was definitely not human and not demon. Although there were rumors he was alien, Angel wasn't sure. He didn't keep up much with the news.

"I'd like that," Clark said, sitting down.

Angel decided to come clean with the superhero, telling him about his son Connor, Cordelia and all that happened to bring him to this point. Clark listened without interrupting.

"I've been fighting this law firm for the past four years. There is no one that knows just how evil they are than me," Angel said. "But he is my son, and his time in the hell dimension messed him up. Being raised by my enemy confused him. Cordelia being hijacked by Jasmine and seducing him—it was just all too much."

Clark felt sympathy for the vampire. "I'm not yet a father, but I know what it's like to lose someone you love. I'm sorry for what you've been through," Clark said. "I've been told about the full evil this world faces, and I am not going to ignore it or let mankind remain ignorant. Wolfram & Hart offices globally have been notified that I won't tolerate what they're doing. I've killed every vampire I've encountered in their employment but you. Their demon workers were left alone as I don't know enough to know which ones are truly evil."

"If they work for Wolfram & Hart, they are corrupt," Angel said. "However, there are a few species that are just trying to survive and never harm humans. I can provide you with a list."

"That would be helpful," Clark said. "I have a cousin, Kara, here on Earth."

"Really? Is that known?" Angel asked.

"Not by many," Clark said. "She's been going to school and isn't quite ready to be known to the world. She was a teenager when our world, Krypton, was destroyed. I was just a baby when my parents sent me to Earth. I was found and raised by parents here in the United States. However, she got stuck in an anomaly, and she was frozen for over a decade. Now she's a bit younger than me."

"It's good to have someone left from your home," Angel said. "I've only made some good friends since meeting Buffy. They're not family, but I'd be lost without them."

Lorne came in. "I hear that the ultimate Big Guy was here, and I had to see for myself," Lorne said, smiling at Clark. "What a treat! I'd love to have you sing for me."

Clark stood when the demon came into the room, instantly on guard. Angel could sense his sudden tension and immediately assured him. "This is Lorne. He's one of those non-aggressive-would-never-hurt-a-fly demons I was referring to. Lorne, this is Kal-el, known as Superman to the world," Angel said quickly.

"So nice to meet you, Superman. I am a lover not a fighter," Lorne assured him. "I owned this club called Caritas that got trashed by some thugs, and Angel has kept me busy working for him. I'm an empath demon."

"What does that mean?" Clark asked.

"Lorne has people sing for him, and he can tell them their path, get a glimpse of their future," Angel explained.

"Useful gift," Clark said. "Nice to meet you."

"Would you like to sing for me?" Lorne asked. To be able to read this enigma would be a real treat.

Clark shook his head. "I know my path and my future," he said. "It is to safeguard this planet and lead mankind into a path of peace."

"And we want to help you do that," Angel told him. "I promise you that I'm going to use this facility to destroy Wolfram & Hart from the inside—that's it."

"You can't be surrounded by evil without it corrupting you," Clark argued.

"I have a demon in me," Angel pointed out. "I am always surrounded by evil, but I don't let it rule me. It doesn't keep me from my path to redemption."

"I'm glad to hear that," Clark said. He pulled out his phone to send Kara a text. "When Kara gets here, make her a secretary or office assistant. She needs to be here to help you if things get out of hand or the Senior Partners try to harm you and your team. This is the only way I will allow you to continue here."

Angel didn't appreciate the lack of faith, but he understood where Superman was coming from, so he didn't argue. They could always use extra muscle who was incorruptible.

Lorne gave Angel a questioning look. "Superman's cousin is like him, and she's going to join the team," Angel said.

Lorne looked excited. "Our very own superhero? That's amazing!" he gushed. "I can't wait to meet her."

There was knock on the window, and the three men looked. "That's her now," Clark said.

Lorne's mouth fell open as he saw the gorgeous blonde floating outside the office window—she had a backpack on.

"Does she not know we have an entrance downstairs?" Angel asked.

Clark grinned. "Well, I told her where I was and to come to me," he said.

"I'm a vampire who will burst into flames if sunlight hits me," Angel said. "How about you tell her to use the stairs like a normal person?"

"Did you get that, Kara?" Clark said, looking at her.

Kara nodded. "Sorry!" she mouthed and disappeared. Less than a minute later, she was at the office door.

"You really know how to make an entrance!" Lorne said, smiling warmly. "I'm Lorne. I'm from Pylea, another dimension. I work with Angel, not Wolfram & Hart." He held out his hand.

"Oh, well, I—it's nice to meet you," she said, caught off guard by the friendly demon. "I've never met a demon before."

"I've never met a woman as gorgeous as you, and I've met Beyoncé," Lorne said, giving her a wink.

Kara blushed. "Thanks," she said. She looked at her cousin. "So is he an evil vampire or what?"

"Oh, Angel-cakes is one of the good guys," Lorne said with a bright smile. "He's always helping people. Without Cordy, though, we are flying a bit blind. She was our conduit to the Powers That Be."

"So they've found a way to sever your connection to the powers that oversee this world?" Clark asked. "That's not good. If you would trust me with her, I might be able to aid her."

"Do you think Jor-El could fix her?" Kara asked.

"Possibly," Clark said.

Angel was dumbfounded. "Really? You think you might be able to help her? She's been in a coma since Jasmine arrived on the scene," Angel said.

"I'd like to try," Clark said. "If we are going to be allies, I'd like to help you. In return, you allow Kara to work here and aid you in any way she can."

"Lorne, will you show Kara around, find a spot for her? I could use a reliable secretary or administrative assistant," Angel said.

"That's great!" Kara said. "I can type really fast!"

Clark smiled, recalling how he'd gotten his first job reporting. "Kara, maybe you can take classes at one of the schools nearby," he suggested.

"I'll help you," Lorne said. "I know lots of people in town, and we'll get you an apartment."

A man walked through the walls. "I hear a flying man with a cape is here visiting you," he said, giving the visitors a look.

"Spike," Angel said impatiently. "Can you not walk through the walls when I have people in my office?"

"It's creepy," Lorne agreed.

"I don't see any cape," Spike said with a frown.

"Spike?" Clark asked. "You're the vampire who aided Buffy in closing the hellmouth?"

"I see my reputation proceeds me," Spike said, puffing out his chest and smirking at Angel, who rolled his eyes. "Superman knows who I am!"

"Is he a ghost?" Kara asked.

"Yes," Angel said. "The necklace I gave him that was used to destroy the hellmouth trapped him inside instead of sending him to a hell dimension. I've not figured out how to make him corporeal yet."

"Does Buffy know he's back?" Clark asked.

"I can't very well call her now, can I?" Spike pointed out.

Clark gave Angel a pointed look. "She has suffered much for the people she lost when that hellmouth was closed. The woman I loved was one of them," he shared, surprising his audience. "Buffy should hear from you that Spike has returned."

"I was afraid of getting her hopes up and then him disappearing," Angel admitted.

"She has her own resources, too," Clark reminded him. "She might be of aid."

"Our Fred is as smart as they come," Lorne said. "She'll figure it out."

"I will take you to Cordy and then call Buffy," Angel assured him.

"Don't tell Little Bit," Spike said. "No need in upsetting her if I can't be restored."

Angel nodded. "I'm sure Buffy would agree," he said.

"Well, sweetcheeks, shall we commence with the tour?" Lorne asked Kara, holding out his arm.

Kara glanced at her cousin, who gave her an encouraging nod. "I'll be in touch," he said.

Kara put her arm through Lorne's and left the office.

"I'll take you to Cordy," Angel said. He didn't want to hope that the alien could help where all other sources failed, but there was something about the man that inspired hope. Angel now understood that he was wearing black for mourning. "I am sorry about your loss."

"Thank you," Clark said. "Lois was impetuous and decided to stay and fight when she found out what was happening in Sunnydale. She had no special powers, but more courage than anyone I've ever met."

"Cordy's like that—she was just a normal girl helping me until my first seer gave his powers to her before he died," Angel said. "She's suffered a lot bearing the visions."

"Well, let's see if we can return her to you," Clark said. He had a feeling that the Senior Partners who offered Angel his deal was keeping Cordelia in a coma—she was Angel's guiding light. Clark knew that without the woman's presence in Angel's life, he would struggle on this path he had chosen.

While Angel was taking Clark to the nearby medical facility that was caring for Cordy, Lorne was showing Kara around.

Kara was enjoying Lorne's friendly chatter. "Here is Gunn's office. He was our street brawler, but now he allowed himself to be downloaded and made into a real attorney," Lorne explained, knocking on the door.

"Come in," Gunn called out. He stood, his eyes widening when he saw Lorne wasn't alone. A very hot blonde was with him. "Who is this lovely lady?"

"Meet our newest hire and member of Team Angel," Lorne said. "This is Kara, a cousin to Superman. He was just here with Angel and agreed not to kill him if we keep her on hand to help keep evil at bay."

"Really? You're Kryptonian?" Gunn asked, holding out his hand to her. "Charles Gunn. It's nice to meet you."

"Thanks," Kara said. "I hope I can help."

"Well, we are in the belly of the beast and can use all the help we can get," Gunn said.

"I'm going to go introduce her to Wes and Fred," Lorne said. "Then we'll have to find her a place to stay."

"I can help with that," Gunn said. "We have several apartments reserved for clients that come to town. I can arrange for one of them to be hers. Do you need a car?"

"Oh, no, I prefer to fly," Kara said with a smile.

"She's also got that superspeed going for her!" Lorne boasted.

"Well, if you decide you want to be a little more low key, let me know," Gunn said. "Come back by, and I'll have the key ready for the apartment."

"That's really nice of you guys," Kara said. "I can just fly back and forth from my home in Kansas. It doesn't take me long."

"Sweetheart, that's an insane commute!" Lorne said. "You have to be local. It'll make things so much easier for you. Your cousin said that you wanted to go to school."

"I'm already taking classes at the University of Kansas," Kara said. "I have to finish out the semester. I only go twice a week."

"That's good," Lorne said. "You can transfer to UCLA. It's probably a bit more liberal than your Kansas school but a top ranked school."

Kara's head was spinning. She had agreed to help her cousin after finding out about the evil rooted in their new home, and she was excited to be a part of a team that regularly fought evil. However, she sensed some strange things in the building, and it made her uncomfortable. They seemed nice, though, so she was hoping she'd be able to help them. Kara didn't want to disappoint Kal-El since he was the only family she had.

***** _The Fortress of Solitude*****_

It had taken over an hour to get all the papers signed so that the hospital would release Cordelia. Fortunately, she was breathing on her own, so she didn't actually need medical transport.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Angel asked, anxious.

"I promise that I will take good care of her," Clark assured him. "If I can't wake her, I will return her to you."

"Do you have a phone number you can give me, so I can call? I have to know what's happening with her," Angel said.

"She means a lot to you, huh?" Clark asked even though he knew the answer.

"I love her," Angel admitted. "It's not the same as Buffy, but Cordy is our heart. I'm cursed and can never be that man for her, but it doesn't mean I don't want to be."

"Maybe she's worth fighting for," Clark prodded. "It doesn't seem like you really fought for Buffy."

Angel flashed him a grim look. "Buffy was different. She doesn't know this, but Joyce—Buffy's mother—asked me to leave town. Pointed out that we didn't really have a future and that I would only hold Buffy back," Angel shared.

"I guess some things aren't meant to be," Clark said, thinking of his own loss. "But I promise that if Cordelia can be helped, I will do it. My number is 620-525-2528."

Angel put it in his own phone. "Thanks," he said. "I appreciate this, Kal."

Clark nodded and bend down and gathered Cordelia gently up in her arms.

"What are you doing?" a nurse asked as Clark was about to carry her out of her room.

"It's okay," Angel said. "Superman is going to take her some place that can help her."

"He can't fly her!" the nurse said. "The exposure to the elements could make her very ill!"

Clark considered that and laid her back down. Then he pulled out his phone. "Oliver, I need a plane that can fly overseas," Clark said. "I have to transport a person to my fortress."

Oliver was silent as he considered the request. "Okay. I can do that," he said. "Who are you transporting?"

"I'll explain later," Clark said.

"Go to LAX, and I will have a plane ready. Give them my name," Oliver said.

"Thanks, Oliver. I owe you one," Clark said.

"No, you don't, Clark. You're my family, and I'm not keeping tabs," Oliver reminded him before hanging up.

"Okay, I'll just take her to the airport. My friend is providing us with a plane," Clark said.

"Do you want to get an ambulance to transport her? It'll be less awkward than you carrying her," Angel pointed out.

Clark smiled. "Fine," Clark said.

That was several hours ago. Now Clark was slowly flying her from the closest airport to his fortress. Luckily, he'd had the foresight to have her bundled up in warm clothes.

When he made it inside his fortress, Jor-el greeted him. "Welcome, my son."

"I have a woman here, Jor-el, who has been used terribly by the demonic forces that plague California," Clark said. "Her name is Cordelia Chase, and she is a seer. The Powers that watch over this world have given her visions to help a champion in Los Angeles. She is in a coma. The doctor says she has normal brain activity, but she won't wake up. Angel, her champion, believes it might be mystical. Do you think you can help her?"

"Put her in the chamber," he ordered. "And I will try."

Clark carefully placed her on the crystal lab, feeling a flash of guilt that he had no pillow. "I need to go to Gotham. I will return in the morning. Will she be okay?" he asked.

"I will care for her until you return," Jor-El said.

Clark closed the chamber. Luckily, he was tireless—there was so much work to be done.

The next step was Gotham.

_*****Chapter End*****_


	8. Gotham

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I haven't quite decided which Batman I'm picturing. Keaton is my favorite, but I liked Bale a lot too. I'll leave it to you to decide. What I know of Batman comes only from the many movies as I don't read comics. I hope I did him justice—no pun intended!

_******Same Night but in Gotham******_

Faith had flown into Gotham a few hours ago. The hotel she was staying at was way too nice. What was Xander thinking? He'd reserved her a room at one of that mega-millionaire's hotels—the Wayne guy. Faith felt like an imposter in her leather pants and jacket. The front desk guy was eying her like she'd steal the vase on the counter. Then this guy tried to take her bags for her, and she almost decked him, thinking he was going to steal it.

When she got to her room, she called Xander.

"What the hell, Xan? Why did you put me in this palace hotel? People like me don't belong in a place this nice!" she yelled.

"What's that supposed to mean, Faith?" Xander asked. "You rarely touch your expense account, and I thought you should get pampered for once. They have a spa downstairs. I signed you up for a massage and facial tomorrow afternoon."

"Are you f***ing serious? Me get a facial? Have you met me?" Faith asked, feeling uncomfortable at the thought.

"Faith, you are the number two slayer with a hefty salary you never spend except on your bike and steak dinners. I want all my girls to feel like the princesses they are," he said.

Faith scoffed. "I'm no princess. You of all people know exactly what I am," she said without bitterness.

"So you're a little rough around the edges," Xander said. "Giles got access to one of the many Council accounts—thanks to Oliver. The first thing he did was to set up expense accounts for you and Buffy."

"I've only just stopped being a wanted fugitive, Xander. This place isn't for me," she said.

"Well, I'm not asking you to live there, Faith. I want you to experience some pampering. Buy yourself the most expensive dress you can find from the shop in the lobby, and then go eat in the that fancy restaurant they have there," Xander said. "Have fun. Monday, you can go find a real place to stay."

Faith had stepped into the shop Xander mentioned, and one look from the sales lady had sent her running.

Now she was patrolling, and she was pissed. Pissed at Xander, pissed at the sales lady, and pissed at herself for allowing the woman to make her feel like white trash.

She heard some crying down a dark street and moved in that direction. Relieved to see two vampires feeding on one girl and corning another, she ran toward them. This was where she belonged—in the dark fighting for others. "Hey, let her go!" she called.

"Someone else come to join in on our fun," the vampire said.

"I'm the one about to have all the fun," Faith said with an eager grin. Then they were interrupted by a man dressed in black, who landed from the rooftop.

"Oh, look it's the Batman," the other vampire said.

Faith eyed the very tall thing with interest. "You're a bat? Seriously?" she asked with a grin.

"No, I'm a man. One that doesn't tolerate men hurting women," he said. He shot some rope that went around the vampire closest to him.

"What are you doing?" Faith asked the guy. "You can't hold a vampire with a rope."

"Ma'am, I have this. You need to take the other girl and run to safety," the Batman told her.

Faith snickered. "Okay, I'll do that," she said. She grabbed one of the girls that the vampires hadn't fed on yet. "Run that way." The girl took off running. "But I'm going to beat this vamp's ass, and then I'm going to dust him."

"I don't murder criminals. I leave them for the cops to arrest," Batman said, a note of disapproval in his voice.

"Okay, you do that. I'll stand here out of your way, and when you fail, I'll come help," she said, a grin still on her face.

Batman didn't know who the woman was, but she seemed too calm. Then the guy broke his rope like it was nothing, and he had to wonder if the woman was serious about her claim of vampire.

"That woman needs medical attention," the woman said. "The vampires feed on humans, so you better hurry if you want to save her."

Batman pushed his cop alert, so Alfred would send his coordinates to the Gotham police. "We need an ambulance here," he said into his comms.

"On its way," Alfred replied.

Then the woman got tired of him waiting, and said, "You're taking too long." She stepped forward and hit the man holding the woman, causing him to drop the woman. Then she reached for the girl and pulled her away from the two guys.

"Take her to the end of the alleyway. An ambulance is coming," the Batman told her.

Faith nodded, deciding the guy had so much leather on that it'd take the vamps a while to bite through anyway. She ripped the girl's shirt and tied it tight around her neck to stem the blood flow and picked her up.

Batman was a bit surprised at the woman's ease as she lifted the victim into her arms and took off running with her. He didn't get much time to watch, though, as the two men attacked him.

They hit him with more power than he expected, and he stumbled back. He kicked one hard in his knee, shattering it. The guy cried out and fell to the ground, leaving him just the one guy, whose face showed a strange deformity.

"You interrupted our meal. Now you have to die," the guy said with an angry growl. Batman used all his defensive moves to keep the man at bay, but he kept coming. He was unusually strong.

"Are you ready for me to tag in yet?" the woman asked. He glanced over and saw that she was alone. She must've guessed his unspoken questions as she continued, "Yea, I took her to the end of the alleyway, but I knew you couldn't handle these two without help as you're obviously a vampire virgin."

"Vampires aren't real," Batman said as the guy hit him hard in the face.

"What the hell are you wearing, man?" the vampire asked, frowning down at his shattered hand.

The other man, whose knee Batman had shattered, stood up, surprising him. "I'll get the girl. She's not covered in hard leather. At least her neck is exposed," the vampire said, charging Faith.

"I do love a vampire that doesn't know when to quit," she said with a cheerful grin. Then she proceeded to beat the crap out of the vampire, wailing on him without stopping. When she took out a stake and stabbed him, the Batman protested.

"Stop! You can't kill him!" he exclaimed.

"Sure, I can," Faith said with a grin. Then she pulled out her hand, and the vampire turned to dust.

Batman didn't know what happened, but he didn't have a chance to react as the other guy knocked him down and then pounced on top of him, forcing his head to the side. Batman realized that the man—or creature—was trying to get at his neck. Was the woman right? Was this a vampire?

Before he could do much more, he was showered in dust. Spitting, he sat up. "What happened?" he asked, looking up at the woman.

"You can thank me," she said smugly.

"Did you kill him with some kind of advanced weaponry?" Batman asked.

The woman held up her wooden stake. "Yeah, this stick is so advanced," she said with a smirk. She held out her hand and easily pulled him to his feet.

"You're strong," he said.

"I should be. I'm a vampire slayer. Killing vampires and demons is my gig. You need to stick to the human criminals," she said.

"You can't go around killing people. I'm going to have to arrest you," he said, throwing a rope around her.

"Okay, now you're just being stupid," Faith said. She struggled a bit at the rope. Then she ripped it apart. "These ropes won't hold vampires, demons, or girls like me. Get some with some steel in them, and you'll have better luck."

Batman thought about what she was saying. "Are you saying that you are like those men?"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" the woman said. "Those weren't men. They were _vampires_. I can't be arrested for killing men who are already dead but imbued with demons."

"It's still not right," Batman said stubbornly.

"Whatever," the girl said dismissively. She turned to walk away, so he grabbed her arm. Then she punched him so hard that his head snapped back. "Don't ever grab me." He watched her go, his jaw throbbing.

He went to the rooftop and followed her. When she went into his own hotel, he stared down in bemusement. Who the hell was this woman?

***** _The Next Day*****_

Faith got up at noon and ordered room service. She decided that she was going to go for it. Her massage was scheduled for two, so she took a shower.

While she was getting her massage, Bruce Wayne was downstairs waiting to identify the mystery woman from the night before. His staff was freaking out at his continual presence behind the counter, but he knew that he had to find this woman and try to figure out what game she was playing. She also knew more about those creatures she somehow turned to dust. The entire situation was one big puzzle, and Bruce was excellent at solving puzzles.

When she came down and he saw her in the bright lights of the lobby, he sucked in a breath. The woman was incredibly gorgeous, walking with the caged energy of a predator yet still swinging the hips, drawing all male eyes toward.

"Hello, ma'am," Bruce said, smiling.

"Hey, handsome," she said, eying him with interest. "Can you tell me where the massage place is? I scheduled an appointment."

"If you'll just give me your name," he prodded.

"Faith. Faith Lehane," she said.

Bruce typed her name into the computer and pulled her up. "It's down that hall to the left," he said, pointing.

He watched her walk away and then pulled out his phone, sending her name to Alfred. He would find out everything he needed to know about this woman.

An hour later, a very relaxed Faith came out of the spa with a smile on her face. Maybe, Xander had a point. She could get used to massages and high-quality food. Of course, the thread count on her bed was meaningless, but the other perks were nice. She paused in front of the high-class boutique, wondering if she should go in again, but she still hesitated.

"Do you need a dress?" a voice behind her asked.

Faith recognized the very hot hotel guy. "Well, hello," she said.

"I'm Bruce. Can I help you find a dress?" he asked.

"You work here, right?" Faith asked. It would figure that the high-class hotel would have personal shoppers for the guest. Good way to pad the bill—clever.

"I do," Bruce said. As the owner, he never stopped working.

"I just don't know how to shop in a place this nice. I grew up in South Boston on the wrong side of the tracks," she admitted. "This fancy hotel really isn't me."

"Then what brings you here if I may ask?" Bruce wondered.

"Well, my employers are relocating me here, and they put me up in this place for the weekend as I rarely touch my expense account," she said. "I'm going to look for a place to live on Monday."

"I've lived in this town my entire life, I'm sure I could be of assistance," he said.

Faith smirked. "You know I'm not rich, right? You'd be better trying your luck at some other woman staying here," she said.

Bruce's laugh was genuine. "No, I'm not trying to come on to you. Just being friendly," he said.

"I wanted to get a nice dress to eat in the overpriced restaurant over there," she said, pointing to the restaurant.

"I could help you," he suggested.

Faith eyed him, trying to decide if she could trust him. He was extremely good-looking and well-dressed. Several inches taller than her with warm brown eyes and brown hair, he wouldn't really stand out in a crowd. However, there was something in his eyes. Faith felt a tinge of recognition as she sensed that he knew loss. He tried to cover the pain with his friendly smile, but she wasn't fooled.

"Why don't you pick out a dress for me? Send it up to my room. If you're free, you could have dinner with me," she suggested, deciding that she'd take him for a spin.

Bruce couldn't believe how easy the young woman was making everything for him. "Of course. It'd be my pleasure. How about seven for dinner?" he suggested.

"Make it six. I have somewhere to be after sunset," she said.

"I will send up a dress," he said.

"Do you want to know my size?" Faith asked with a saucy grin.

Bruce looked her up and down and smirked. "Not necessary," he said. "I got it." Then he turned and walked into the shop.

Faith couldn't help but laugh.

***** _About Two Hours Later*****_

Clark had called Oliver to ask him for the address of Bruce Wayne.

"He's a rich, busy guy, Clark," Oliver said. "You can't just expect him to see you. He might not even be home. It's a weekend."

"Which means he won't be at work," Clark said. "I will go to his house, and he is bound to appear at some point."

"I don't get why you want to see him," Oliver said. "I know Bruce Wayne, and he could care less about the things we care about it. Fast cars and fast women are all he focuses on besides his company."

"He's got money, and I want to feel him out about Wolfram & Hart. They have an office in Gotham," Clark said. "We need allies in every city, and we can't be everywhere."

"You know Buffy's number two, Faith, is in Gotham this weekend. There's a strong influx of crime in the area, and her team thinks it could mean a hellmouth is forming," Oliver said.

"I think the newly called slayers have upset the balance of power," Clark said. "Things will get worse before they get better."

"I'm in Star City for the same reason. The criminal element in the city is getting out of hand," he said.

"Can't the slayers help with that?" Clark asked.

"They won't," Oliver said. "It's too dangerous for them. If they accidentally kill a human, it can send them off the rails. I guess that happened with Faith back when she was like sixteen. It traumatizes them. A slayer isn't a killer."

"They are killers, Oliver. They just kill specific things," Clark said. "It's semantics."

"Maybe, but I'd not go saying that around them," Oliver said. "Faith in particular is a hit first and ask questions later kind of girl."

Now Clark was flying above the Wayne Manor, trying to decide his approach. He settled gently onto the man's upstairs balcony.

He was surprised when the glass doors opened, but he walked in.

"Well, I am very surprised to receive a visit from the man of steel himself," a voice said.

Clark looked and saw Bruce Wayne standing up behind his desk. The balcony was outside of a library of some kind.

"You were expecting me?" Clark asked as he moved in closer.

"Oliver Queen sent me an email alerting me that you had something you wanted to discuss with me," Bruce said.

Clark held out his hand. "Kal-El," he said, giving him his Kryptonian name.

"Bruce Wayne. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said. He looked over Clark's outfit, noting he was robed much differently than normal and made an obvious conclusion. "I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Clark said, not caring how the man had correctly guessed his state of being. "The woman I loved was murdered on a hellmouth that was opened in Sunnydale, California."

"The town that is now a crater?" Bruce asked, intrigued. He'd been researching vampires and vampire slayers ever since his encounter last night, so the term hellmouth was familiar to him.

Clark nodded. "Yes. A group of young women—supernaturally empowered vampire slayers—saved the world by keeping it closed," he said. "I have been made aware of the global threat that the supernatural monsters pose, and I have been putting certain groups on notice."

"Wolfram & Hart?" Bruce suggested. "I heard that you'd been attacking them. They've filed a civil suit against you, you know."

"So Oliver told me," Clark said. "I will expose the truth that sits in darkness to the world if I need to. Groups like them that actively seek to empower evil will be brought down by any means at my disposal. You need to know that street thugs are not the only threat to your city."

"Yes, I've recently been made aware of that myself," Bruce said. "Why are you telling me, though? I have no power or authority outside of the properties and businesses I own."

"I'm telling you because I know what you do at night," Clark revealed.

Bruce stared at him in surprise. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"Don't worry. I never told Oliver," Clark said. "But there's not many secrets that can be kept from a man who can hear anything he wants if he tries hard enough. Batman couldn't do what he does without a lot of money. You're the only one in town with the means." Of course, he didn't share that it was Lois who had first suspected that Batman's identity was Bruce Wayne. Clark had just confirmed it.

Bruce laughed. "I think you have on heck of an imagination," he said.

"Your secret's safe with me," Clark said. "I do know a group of people, though, that would like you to join them—the Justice League. They are working with the slayers and other superheroes to protect the world from global threats."

Bruce debated on how to proceed. Did he confirm what the man knew about him? Could he trust him? Bruce was wary of anyone with the power that this man had. Who could stand against him if he went rogue?

"What about the threat that _you_ pose?" he asked, surprising Clark.

"What do you mean?" Clark wondered.

"You are impervious to all known weapons. What if you decide to rule Earth? Who could withstand you?" Bruce challenged.

Clark was so surprised at his words that he was silent for a long moment. Finally, he admitted, "I'm not without vulnerabilities. The Justice League knows mine, so if I ever get corrupted, they have the means to destroy me."

Now, that intrigued Bruce. "Really?" he asked.

Clark nodded. "Yes. You can be assured that I will never let the Earth be threatened by anyone—not even me," he said.

"Are you in charge of this Justice League?" Bruce asked.

Clark shook his head. "No. My best friend and her husband are, however," he replied.

Now Bruce was even more intrigued. What kind of friend did this man make? Genuine interest in this league formed. He needed to know the players at the very least.

"I'm not ready to share all my secrets with people I don't know," he said.

"I can arrange a meeting. Wear your disguise," Clark said.

"Okay," he said as curiosity won out.

"Do you have any dealings with Wolfram & Hart?" Clark asked.

Bruce shook his head. "No. Their practices are unsavory, and I have made a point to never do business with them or their clients," he said.

"Good. Then you won't be hurt by the fallout," Clark said. "There's a slayer in town to keep the demon population in check. You should work with her."

"I've met her. Faith, right?" Bruce said. "Do you know her?"

Clark shook his head. "Not really. I’ve met her, though. She's the second strongest of the slayers—their number two," he shared.

"Did you know she has a criminal record? She was arrested for murder, and she spent time in prison," Bruce said. "That's not really someone I want in my city with that kind of power."

Clark knew very little about this woman except one thing. "She fought with her sisters to keep Sunnydale closed, so whatever she did, I'm sure she paid her dues," he said. "I don't know everything yet about the slayers—their leader is the one I know, and she is extraordinary. Faith is called the Dark Slayer because she made mistakes. These girls are called to fight monsters when they're fourteen or fifteen. Imagine that. They are bound to make mistakes."

Bruce frowned. "That seems wrong," he said.

"It is, but it's their reality. A reality that they have no control on. The power is just given to them—they are chosen by some higher power who rules over this planet. I've not really studied the religion of it, so you'd have to ask Faith. If you've met her, you should get to know her before passing judgment on her," Clark advised.

Bruce nodded. "I can do that," he said. "I am actually meeting her for dinner, so I have to go."

"Thanks for letting me drop in like this," Clark said.

"Well, I don't want my city overrun with demons or vampires," Bruce said. "I appreciate you keeping me in the loop. Tell your group to contact me for a meeting. I'll try to make time to meet them."

Clark nodded. "I will," he said. He turned to leave. "Time to go clean house at the Gotham Wolfram & Hart."

Bruce watched him fly away. "Alfred, did you catch that?" he asked.

His butler and only family came into the room. "I did, sir," he replied.

"What did you think?" he asked.

"I knew a gentleman at Oxford who said he was part of a group of men called Watchers that battled the supernatural," Alfred shared.

"Really? Can you find out what he knows about these slayers? I want the name of their leader," he said.

"I will see what I can find out," Alfred told him.

Bruce was more than ready to have his dinner with the so-called vampire slayer.

****** _Chapter End******_


	9. Not Invulnerable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't smoothly transition back to Bruce and Faith, so I will tell their story in chapter 10. I hope you enjoy this update.

***** _Where We Left off in Gotham******_

While Bruce Wayne was driving over to his hotel to meet Faith for dinner, Clark was going to make his stop at Gotham's Wolfram & Hart office. However, he got a call from Buffy.

"Clark, can you come to New York? I have something you should see," Buffy told him.

"Okay," he said. He changed direction and flew to Buffy's.

"Glad you could make it," Buffy said, greeting him with a warm smile.

"Not a problem. I was in Gotham about to pay the Wolfram & Hart office a little visit," he shared. "I'll get to them soon or later."

Buffy laughed. "I do admire your single-minded dedication," she said.

Clark grinned. "You're pretty dedicated yourself," he observed. "So what's up?"

"Well, you know that Faith and I had slayer dreams about a new threat rising?" she asked. When he nodded, she continued, "We haven't seen a direct major threat yet, which has me more anxious than normal. In the meantime, the gangs in New York are doing something screwy."

"Screwy?" Clark said in amusement. "Is that a technical term?"

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "Yes. It means things aren't the way they should be," she explained. "I think the gangs in the Bronx have organized with the gangs here in Queens."

"And that concerns you why? I thought your mission wasn't to take on the human criminals?" he asked.

"It's not, but this is different," Buffy said. "The police have been finding half-eaten bodies."

Clark grimaced. "Seriously?" he asked. "Half-eaten?"

Buffy nodded. "Yes. That has to be demon related," she said.

"So what do you think is happening?" he asked.

"Well, my first thought is some type of human sacrifice ritual," she said. "In high school, Cordelia dated this guy who was head of a fraternity that worshipped a demon that gave the members wealth and prestige. I was talked into going on a double date, and we both were drugged and nearly sacrificed to the demon."

"Wow," Clark said, shaking his head. "You guys don't do anything half-way, do you?"

Buffy grinned. "Nope," she said. "Then a similar demon named Avilas was summoned by some of Dawn's classmates during our last few months in Sunnydale. I was working at the school as a guidance counselor, so I was there to stop that one before anyone got hurt. He was a really ugly demon, vulnerable to fire."

"Why are kids summoning demons? Don't they have enough videos to play anymore?" Clark asked.

"Well, the internet exposes kids today to all kinds of new things. They come across a reference to get-rich-quick schemes, and that rabbit hole leads them to summoning demons that can empower them," Buffy said.

"Does it work?" Clark asked.

Buffy shrugged. "A bit. The fraternity had major bankruptcy hit all its current and past members after I slayed the demon," she said. "So they can manipulate wealth to a degree. But the price is literal human sacrifice."

"And people do it?" Clark asked, horrified and disgusted.

"Unfortunately, they do," she said. "Although I was able to stop the high school kids, the fraternity had been sacrificing virgins for decades. One or two a year."

"If that's happening here, we have to stop it," he said.

"Yes," Buffy agreed. "The thing is there's various types of demons that do this kind of thing. It's going to take some real research. I don't have many books here. Giles is doing some research for me back in England."

"I can go to him and help with that," Clark offered.

"Really? That'd be great," she said.

"But I need to go to my fortress and check on Cordelia," he said.

"I can't believe you stepped in to help her like that," Buffy said. "It's really great of you."

"I'm glad I could help. I mean, I hope Jor-El can help her," he said.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"He's the artificial intelligence version of my Kryptonian father," Clark shared.

Buffy looked at him in surprise. "Huh?" she asked.

Clark grinned. "Yes, it's weird but normal for Kryptonians. They were very advanced in the sciences," he said. "My parents were prominent scientists on our home world. They downloaded their consciousness into these crystals, so I could learn from them even after they're gone."

"That's pretty incredible," Buffy said. "I would love to have a piece of my mother still. When I died for a few months nearly three years ago, Dawn took a lot of comfort in this robot that looked exactly like me, had my memories and stuff. It totally creeped me out, but it helped her while I was gone."

Clark nodded. "It does help, but sometimes Jor-El thinks he knows what's best for me," Clark said. "He doesn't have the human instincts that I do, so sometimes we have some serious conflict. But other times, he really helps. He's the one who taught me about the supernatural threat and how our god Rao once defeated such creatures like your Old Ones."

"Really?" Buffy said. Giles would be so fascinated. "You totally have to share that with Giles. He'll flip. He loves learning like I love playing with knives."

Clark laughed. "I don't think I've ever known any—male or female—that would admit to that," he said.

"Well, Faith is worse than me," Buffy said, looking sheepish.

"Bart told me how fearless you were in the face of a three-headed demon," Clark said.

Buffy laughed. "Bart screamed like a little kid. It was really funny," she said.

"I would've liked to have seen that," Clark said, amused.

"So will you come back here or head to Giles?" Buffy asked.

"I will probably go home for the night and head to England tomorrow. Text me his address and let him know I'm coming," Clark said as he stood.

"I will. Thanks," Buffy said.

Clark said goodbye and left Buffy standing at her balcony watching him fly away.

After he left New York, Clark went home to sleep. When he woke, he packed a bag in a large satchel that he could easily carry over his shoulders. Before flying to England, he stopped and had breakfast with Chloe and Oliver, assuring them both that he was okay. He filled Oliver in on the Batman connection he made in Gotham.

"So this guy is willing to join the League?" Oliver asked.

"He just found out about vampires and the supernatural after he saw Faith fighting some vampires two days ago," Clark said. "I am not sure that he's fully processed it, but he definitely is interested in finding out more about what you do."

"Do you know who the Batman is?" Oliver asked.

Clark nodded.

"Who is it?" Chloe asked excitedly.

"That's not my secret to tell. Just like your identity is your own," Clark said.

"What about Wayne? Did you tell him about what you're doing?" Chloe asked.

"I did speak briefly with Mr. Wayne also, and he said he never used Wolfram & Hart lawyers due to their unsavory business practices," Clark said.

"Well, at least he has some good instincts," Oliver said.

Chloe frowned, her mind racing with too many thoughts. "So Bruce Wayne is a very wealthy man with an entire science department on his payroll," she said.

"Yea, so?" Oliver asked.

Chloe looked at her husband expectantly. "It hasn't occurred to you that Batman only operates in the town the Wayne lives in?" she pointed out.

Clark worked hard to keep his smile of his face. Chloe was almost as sharp as Lois when it came to people. He felt a pang as he thought of Lois, and he had to push the thoughts away. He didn't want to get lost in his grief—there was too much to do.

Oliver frowned as he considered Chloe's question. "What? You think that he's part of Batman's team? Supplying him?" he asked.

"He has to be or he's Batman himself," Chloe said.

Oliver burst out laughing. "No way that entitled asshole is Batman," he said. "I know him, remember?"

"You know him about as well as he knows you," Chloe reminded him. "Wouldn't he be shocked to know you're the Green Arrow?"

Oliver thought about it a minute. "Well, I went through something that changed me. Stranded on an island for five years. As far as I know, Bruce hasn't had anything happen to him in the past decade. He was a kid when his parents were killed," he said.

"How about you not worry about who Batman is?" Clark said. "If he joins the League, I'm sure he'll show you who he is. Then you don't have to argue about who he might be."

"True," Oliver said. "I'd bet money, though, it's not Bruce."

"I'll take that bet," Chloe said smugly. She held out her hand.

"What's mine is yours," he reminded her.

"Fine. No money. I want a spa day if I'm right," she said. "If you're right, I'll let you redecorate our bedroom like you wanted to."

Oliver's eyes lit up. "Bet," he said, shaking his wife's hand.

Clark laughed. "Okay. I'm glad you got that worked out," he said. He stood. "Thanks for breakfast. I need to go to my fortress and check on Cordelia. Then I'm off to England to do research with Buffy's mentor Mr. Giles."

"Okay, keep us posted," Chloe said, giving him a hug goodbye. She was glad to see that he wasn't giving in to despair.

Clark flew to his fortress. "Jor-El? How's Cordelia?" he asked.

"She is in stasis, my son. I believe after several days she will emerge transformed, free of all the poison that had kept her in a coma," he shared.

"What did you have to do? What does transform mean exactly?" Clark asked.

"I fused your Kryptonian DNA to hers in order to repair the damage done both her body and her mind," he said.

"You did _what_?" Clark exclaimed.

"She will emerge the last daughter of Krypton—and your sister," Jor-El said.

Clark's mind reeled as he tried to take in that information. "You turned her into a Kryptonian? Why would you do such a thing? You can't go around changing a person without their permission!" he exclaimed.

"I had no choice, my son. I could not help her unless I did it," Jor-El said. "The trauma her body has gone through was too severe."

Clark walked over to the pod and wiped the small window and saw Cordelia resting peacefully inside. "She's going to be okay now?" he asked.

"She will be well as soon as she emerges from the pod," Jor-El said.

"Please have her come to my mother's in Smallville if I am not here when she awakens," Clark said. "I have to help Buffy with some demons, so I can't hang around."

"Learning to find places during superspeed running or flying takes time," Jor-El said. "However, I will tell her where you will be if you do not come when she is ready to leave."

"Okay. I will speak with you in a week or so," Clark said. He rested his hand on the pod a moment, sending his new sister warm wishes.

Now he had to tell his mother. Not sure what he would say, he flew to Kansas to let her know.

Martha Kent took the news like she took everything—with grace and acceptance. "Oh, my," she said. She was quiet a long moment, and then she smiled. "Well, this is wonderful for you, Clark. A full sibling who can understand exactly what you're going through."

"I have Kara, Mom. She understands," Clark reminded her.

"Of course, dear," Martha said. "I love Kara. But it's never a bad thing to have more family, especially as your father and I could never give you a sibling."

Clark smiled and hugged her. "I don't know how I got so lucky to end up here with you and dad, but I'm grateful every day. I hope you know that," he told her.

Martha smiled up at him. "No one was as happy as I, Clark," she told him. "You can't know what it's like to want to have a baby and be told it will never happen. There was a hole inside me that no amount of love from your father could ever fill. He felt so helpless, and we were both wanting to have a child of our own. Then you came—like a gift from the heavens. And now I want you to tell me everything you know about this young lady."

"I don't know everything, but I know she was from Sunnydale and fought alongside Buffy and her friends until she went to Los Angeles," Clark said. "Then she joined Angel, Buffy's ex, to help people there. After a bit, she became Angel's seer, getting visions of people who needed help."

His mother listened avidly as he gave her the tale that Angel had told him—the Cordy parts. His mother was horrified at the violation done to Cordelia and could not wait to mother the poor girl.

"I will ask Buffy to tell me more about her, and I will call you," Clark said.

"Please do," Martha said. "Where are you going now?"

"I'm going to England to meet Buffy's mentor. He has some books that might help uncover some demons that are sacrificing humans in New York," Clark shared.

Martha looked ill. "To know such evil exist breaks my heart," she said.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have told you," he said, feeling guilty.

"No, Clark, I need to be a part of your life," she said. "I want to know what you are doing. I need to be there for you, Clark. I can deal."

Clark nodded, knowing she was strong. However, she didn't need to know how truly evil humanity could be. She was too good, and it was his job to protect her as best as he could.

***** _Two Weeks Later*****_

Clark spent over a week working with Buffy in New York and flying to England to do research with her mentor Giles. His collection of books was impressive. Of course, Clark's Kryptonian brain allowed him to flip through books like they were a magazine. First, he would read a book that had information on whatever language the book was written in. Then he would read the book. When he did it for the first time in front of Giles, Giles was nonplussed. "Dear Lord," he muttered. "Can you actually absorb all that knowledge so quickly?"

Clark looked a bit embarrassed. "Yes, my brain doesn't work like a human's. Kryptonians have perfect recall and can process knowledge instantly," he said.

"Fascinating," Giles said. "Scientists on Earth have always claimed that humans could learn to use more of their brain. Your people have evolved the way humans have not."

Clark nodded. "Yes, science was the main religion on Krypton. Unfortunately, the hunger for more scientific advancement actually led to the explosion of our planet," he shared.

"Really? How so?" Giles asked.

"Kryptonians were always looking for alternative power sources, more ways to harness energy," Clark said. "Remember, we lived under a red sun, not a yellow. The red sun did not empower us the way the yellow sun empowers me. A group of scientists thought that drilling into our planet's core was a good idea."

"Oh dear," Giles said as he realized the implication.

"Yes," Clark said.

"We are very fortunate, though, that your parents chose Earth for you," Giles said, smiling at the young man. He was so powerful, but he was modest and a bit shy. His brain worked on a level that no humans did, yet he never made his genius known like most people would. In so many ways, he was an example of the way all humans should be. The more Giles got to know Clark, the more he approved and liked the man.

"Thanks," Clark said, giving him a shy smile. "Earth has been the only home I remember. However, since I became an adult, I have learned much about Krypton from my father Jor-El's A.I."

"A.I.?" Giles asked.

"His artificial intelligence. It's the way Kryptonians can preserve memories," Clark explained. "Jor-El has taught me our people's history, religion, and family traditions. He is the one I have left Cordelia with."

"Is Cordelia going to be all right?" Giles asked.

Clark nodded. "I believe so," he said. "Jor-El seemed confident that he could help her." He never told Giles what was done to save her, however. It would be best to see how she emerged from stasis.

Giles couldn't help but envy such power and knowledge. Yet he knew that humans were too susceptible to greed, and they would not be able to handle such gifts that Clark had. Clark was very special, though, and Giles wasn't too worried about him. Even after a short time, Giles felt that Clark would always be a gift to Earth, never a threat.

As for Clark, he learned much from Giles and his library.

Finally, he, Giles, and Buffy narrowed down the demons that were responsible for the human sacrificing. Clark said goodbye to Giles and went back to New York, ready to help Buffy put the demons down.

Buffy had three slayers living with her and Dawn in New York. Two of the girls had located the demon stronghold after spending a week trailing local gangs.

"It's time to put a stop to this," Buffy told Clark.

"What can I do?" Clark asked.

"Well, these guys are like the one I faced most recently," she said. "That means they'll be vulnerable to fire. Use your fire vision, and I'll chop their heads off with my nifty scythe."

Clark grinned. "It's heat vision," he corrected.

"It causes fires; it doesn't warm things up," Buffy argued, a glint in her eye. "Fire vision is totally better."

Clark chuckled, amused by her. "Okay. I'll give you that," he said.

They teamed up and hit the warehouse where the demon clan was congregating. There were six demons. Buffy went with the shock and awe method, slicing and dicing while Clark fired his eye fire at them. "We should've brought some marshmallows," she quipped as she sliced through the legs of the nearest demon he had caught on fire.

Clark looked a bit shocked at her comment, and then he laughed. Lois would've loved her. When the demon fell, she quickly took off its head.

"Three down, three to go!" Buffy said with a happy grin.

Clark watched her, impressed with the way she moved. He had never seen anyone—male or female—move the way she did in a fight. Nor did he know anyone that seemed to enjoy the fight the way she did. Lois always enjoyed knocking a big guy on his ass, but that was more about feminism and making her father proud than a real love of battle. For Buffy, it was like she came alive with the scythe in her hand and a demon in front of her.

He helped her dispense with the last two. "Cool," Buffy said, looking at the dead demons with satisfaction.

"Should we get rid of the bodies?" Clark asked.

"You have the superstrength, so I think you can handle it," she said, flashing him a cheeky grin.

"You also have superstrength, and I believe in feminism," he countered.

"I'm an old-fashioned gal and expect the man to get rid of the bodies," she said.

Clark laughed. "Fine. I'll do it," he said. In a blur, he grabbed the bodies and put them into a large pile and burned them completely to ash.

"Perfect," Buffy said. They turned to leave. "You really know how to show a gal a good time."

"I think you really need to start dating again," Clark said. "This was _not_ a good time."

"You say toma-toe; I say to-mato," she said with a grin.

When they made it back to her house, the other slayers were miffed that she didn't wait for them.

"Don't worry. We still have to find the demon nest in the Bronx," she said. "Clark won't stick around for that one, so you girls will have plenty of demons to kill."

Clark didn't think he would ever get use to girls being so excited at the prospect of killing monsters. Shaking his head, he said goodbye and flew off.

Buffy watched him go with a sigh. He was so different from any guy she had ever met, but he was so strong.

_ Bad Buffy _ , she thought. It would be a very long time before Clark would be ready to let another woman into his life or heart.

****** _The Next Day*****_

Clark went home to Metropolis and turned in a story. He was a part-time freelancer since Lois died. Perry understood how hard it was for him, so he didn't make Clark report to the office. Seeing Lois' empty desk every day was not something he was ready for. Perry understood that as he couldn't bear it either and rarely came out of his office except to head to the elevator. Lois Lane had been the heartbeat of the Daily Planet for the past few years and losing her while she was on a story devastated everyone who worked with her. Clark was publishing corruption pieces about various clients of Wolfram & Hart whenever he could verify the facts. The rule of two sources was sacred to Perry, so Clark had to always find a source besides Superman. Sometimes, he couldn't, so he moved on to another subject. He was determined to make Wolfram & Hart suffer in any way he could.

Then it was time to head back to Gotham and put Wolfram & Hart on notice, so he flew there that afternoon.

This time, though, Wolfram & Hart was prepared. Psychics were on watch, waiting for him to arrive. As soon as he landed outside the front door, a silent alarm went off throughout the building. The flashing S was seen on every computer monitor in every office, so all the employees knew Superman was on the premises. Clark only made it to the front lobby. They had their witch and warlocks working on a containment spell, and Clark was caught completely unprepared.

A man in a suit stood next to the chanting women. "You are no longer welcome in any of Wolfram & Hart properties," he said to Clark.

"I am here to put you on notice. Employing vampires will not be tolerated," Clark said.

"You aren't in any position to dictate anything to Wolfram & Hart," the man said. He nodded at his witches.

Before Clark could react, he was trapped in an invisible box that he could not get out of.

_ *****To Be Continued***** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cordelia will make an appearance in the next chapter, so I hope you read the companion piece written by DarthTenebrus "Cordelia Chase, Last Daughter of Krypton." It explains her incredible transformation. It is on The Twisted Hellmouth, another fanfiction site. Here is the link to it. Cut and paste it into your browser. Try to read it before my next update.  
> www.thfanfic./Story-32940/DarthTenebrus+Cordelia+Chase+Last+Daughter+of+Krypton. htm.  
>  If you can't get it to work, Google The Twisted Hellmouth and then type in the story. I promise you will be glad that you took the time.


	10. A New Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone made time to read DarthTenebrus' companion piece "Cordelia Chase, Last Daughter of Krypton" before you read this as it explains Cordelia's transformation.  
> This chapter is starting in Gotham with Bruce and Faith. I hope the jumping around isn't too confusing. You may want to go back to chapter 8 and reread it and chapter 9.

_******Back in Gotham where chapter 8 left off*****_

Bruce was thinking about his encounter with Superman—Kal-el as he drove to meet Faith. He wasn't what Bruce expected as his desire to root out evil was now driving him. It was clear to Bruce that something was pushing Superman along this new path. He most likely had lost someone from a demon or vampire, and now he was determined to eradicate the evil. Bruce could both respect that and relate to it as it was his parents' death that propelled him to want to stomp the corruption in Gotham.

When he walked into the restaurant for his dinner with Faith, he looked for her at a table, but he didn't see her. Instead, he saw the red dress he'd picked out for her at the bar.

Faith took a sip of her beer—it was in a fancy frosted mug and scanned the room. Her eyes connected with Bruce, and she grinned. The dress he picked out made her sexy as shit, and she smirked as he approached and took it in. The girls were on prime display with the revealing neckline. The dress had a V-neck and stopped at her mid-thigh, hugging her closely. Her hair was loose and looking fine as the rest of her.

"Well, hello," he said, giving her an admiring glance. "I knew the dress would look good on you."

"Yes, it does," she said, looking smug and proud. She hopped off the bar stool and gave a little turn. She paused with her back toward him and looked at him over her shoulder. "My ass is looking prime in this, huh?"

Bruce laughed, enjoying her confidence. "It most definitely is," he agreed. He held out his arm. "Shall we?"

The waiter was waiting for them in his normal table in the corner. Bruce helped her to her seat, much to her amusement.

"I don't think I've ever had a guy help me sit down before," she said, feeling both flattered and awkward.

"You don't know guys with manners," he told her.

The waiter handed them the menus and looked at Bruce expectantly, asking, "What wine would you like to have tonight, Mr. Wayne?"

Faith didn't hear his answer as she focused on the name, and then it dawned on her. "You are Bruce f*** Wayne!" she exclaimed.

"Well, normally I don't introduce myself quite so colorfully," he said with a smile.

Faith frowned, not sure if she should be pissed her not. "Why didn't you tell me you were Bruce Wayne?" she asked, suspicious.

"Well, I told you my first name," he said. "Most people in Gotham know who I am on sight. It was clear to me that you didn't. It was kind of nice."

"You're paying for dinner," she said, glaring.

"Of course," he said.

"I eat a lot," she informed him.

Bruce grinned. "I can afford it," he said. Then he started doing what he normally did when out to dinner with a beautiful woman—he went for charm and very little insincerity. However, he found that with this woman, his smile was real.

She ordered a very expensive steak, looking smug. When the steak arrived and she tasted it, though, she moaned in ecstasy.

Bruce's eyes widened as he saw her expression. Her eyes were closed, and a look of pleasure rested on her face.

In dismay, he realized that his body was reacting strongly to her as it sounded like she was in the midst of sex.

"This is the best steak thing I've ever put in my mouth!" she said as she savored the taste.

Bruce couldn't resist arching an eyebrow and saying, "Really?"

Faith's eyes opened at his tone, and then she saw his knowing look and smirked. "Absolutely," she told him. "Of course, I'm always open to putting new things in my mouth if a good opportunity presents itself."

Bruce could feel his dick come to strong attention at her words and sultry look. Then her tongue slowly caressed her lips, and he debated what to do next. It would be easy to just take her to bed, but he had a feeling that sex and men came too easily to her. Did she respect an easy conquest? He doubted it, so he decided to play it cool.

"That's good to know," he said, picking up his wine glass.

Faith was impressed at his self-control as she knew exactly the effect she had on men. However, she didn't let his obvious charms distract her from her meal even ordering dessert.

Finally, she was full and sat back. "Now that was definitely a five-star meal," she said. "Your chef deserves a raise."

"I'll make sure of it," he said, grinning at her.

She'd been so focused on her food that she'd barely looked at him, so they had not wasted time on idle chit-chat. Now, however, he had her attention. "So, Bruce, tell me about yourself," she said.

"What do you want to know?" he asked. "Most of my life is open to public consumption."

"I'm sure there's more to you than careless playboy who has more money than most others on the planet," she said. "What do you like to do for fun? Crossword puzzles? Bowling? Extreme sports?"

The idea of him bowling amused her. "I bet you're a hardcore bowler, huh?" she asked with a grin of amusement.

"I'm good at most sports," he said modestly. "But I don't spend too much time bowling. My job as the figurehead of Wayne Enterprises does have me on the golf course with other business associates, but I can't say that I enjoy golf. It's not much of a challenge."

"So extreme sports?" Faith said with a knowing grin.

"Well, I've been known to enjoy an extreme sport or two," he said, thinking of rappelling across town from high rises dressed as Batman.

"I knew it!" she said smugly. "I would totally love skydiving. I tried to get B to do it with me once, but she chickened out. Just because of that one time where she dived of a high-rise building to save her sister and died for a little bit, she's now a bit wigged out at the thought of plunging from heights."

"Your friend Bee died for a little bit?" he asked puzzled.

Faith winced as she realized what she said. For some reason, she found him easy to talk to. Considering who he was, that was extremely odd. "Buffy—her name is Buffy, and she's like my sister. We fight a lot, and we've really hurt each other in the past. But when it comes down to it, we're family even without the blood," she said. "Do you have anyone like that in your life?"

Bruce nodded. "Yes, Alfred—he's the man who raised me when my parents were murdered when I was twelve," he shared.

"Man, that sucks balls," Faith said in sympathy. "You didn't have any other family that could do it?"

"Yes, there's a few relatives out there—distant relatives," he said. "My parents, though, trusted Alfred—he's the family butler."

Faith blinked, trying to understand. "Like Geoffrey from _Fresh Prince of Bel-Air_?" she asked.

Bruce smiled. "Alfred _is_ British," he acknowledged.

Faith laughed. "That's cool as hell," she said. "I loved that show! As a kid, I really wished Geoffrey could come to my house—he was so unflappable. When I met B's Watcher, Giles, I realized that British people were actually like that. Giles is the best—nothing phases him."

As Bruce had down extensive research on Faith, he knew who Giles was and understood her reference. Somehow, though, he felt kind of scummy for knowing things about her. "Full disclosure—I did run a background check on you, so I actually know a bit about your associates," he confessed.

For a moment, a look of an angry predator came into Faith's eyes, and Bruce was reminded of exactly who and what she was. Then she smiled, relaxing. "That's good. It's best we put all our cards on the table," she said. "I guess I should tell you that I know you're Batman."

Now it was his turn to feel both shock and anger. "What makes you say that?" he asked coolly.

"It took me a while," she admitted. "It wasn't until I got to my dessert and looked up and realized that I knew that jawline. I wasn't completely sure until just now. Your eyes looked a bit pissed—Batman was a bit pissed, too."

Now she looked smug, and Bruce felt torn. Would it be better to be honest? Could he trust an ex-con with his greatest secret? He thought of his conversation with Kal-El and realized that he didn't have much of a choice. This woman wouldn't believe his denial, and she didn't strike him as the kind of woman he could either intimidate or bribe.

"Why don't we take a walk and talk in a less private place?" he suggested, rising to his feet. He pulled out his wallet to lay a tip on the table.

Faith snickered at the hundred-dollar bill. "I guess you can afford to leave a tip like that," she remarked.

"Yes, I can," he said with a shrug. "Servers rarely get tipped the twenty percent they should, so I always tip well."

"Even if the meal is free?"

"Especially then," he said. "The server had to wait on me, keeping him from other tables or another customer." He held out his arm to Faith, who put her hand on it.

When they stepped outside of the restaurant, Faith said, "Why don't we just go upstairs to my room? I need to change clothes."

As she didn't seem inclined toward seduction, Bruce agreed and walked her to the elevator. Faith left Bruce in the living area and walked into the bedroom. Having a hotel room with an actual living room had been a surprise, but Faith was already comfortable with the posh hotel. She grabbed her black leather pants and a white t-shirt.

Bruce poured himself a glass of ice water from the bar and was sipping it when she returned.

"Okay, so let's talk," she said without preamble.

"Before our dinner, I got a little visit from Superman," Bruce said. "He spoke of you and the concerns about Gotham. I shared my concerns about having a murderer in my city with the kind of powers you have."

"You don't own this city—no one does, and you have no say in what I do," Faith said, her eyes flashing fire.

Bruce ignored her words and kept going. "Superman said that he thought you could be trusted because Buffy, your leader, trusted you, and he knew and trusted her," he said.

"Yes, B is definitely the golden girl—worthy of trust and adoration," Faith said without any bitterness.

Bruce filed that away for later. "I think we should work together," he said.

"Because you're Batman," Faith said with a wink.

Bruce nodded. "Yes," he said simply.

Faith laughed in victory. "Ha! I knew it!" she said. "So why a bat? That's kind of creepy. B and company met Dracula, and you know he could actually turn into a bat?"

"Really?" Bruce asked, not sure if she was teasing.

"That's what they said," she said with a shrug. "I was in prison at the time, so I couldn't say. Giles said it was one of his skills—as was coming back together after Buffy staked him. He kept coming back alive."

"That would be something to see," Bruce said diplomatically. He wasn't sure he could buy into all this, but as he did see a vampire turn to dust, he had no grounds to argue.

"So why a bat?" she asked again.

"Because bats scared me as a kid," he admitted. "I figured dressing up as a man-sized bat would scare the criminal population as well."

"They're like rats with wings, so I get that," Faith said. "So you want to go get your bat on and patrol with me?"

"Sure," Bruce said. "How about you start patrolling, and I catch up to you?" He handed her a small box.

"I'm not really the jewelry kind of gal," she said, frowning. "Besides, this was just a first date."

Bruce smiled. "No, it's just a comm," he said. "An earbud. Put it in your ear, so we can stay in contact. It also has a GPS, so I can track you."

She opened it and saw the tiny device. "Cool," she said. She grabbed it and put it in her ear. Then she went over to the closet and pulled out her carry-on duffel and grabbed a few stakes and a sword.

"I'm not sure you should walk out of the hotel with that," he said.

"No worries. Willow put a spell on it. Once I have it in the scabbard on my back, no one can see it unless they are in the know," she said.

"Okay," he said slowly. He was out of his element with this supernatural stuff, so he felt it was better to say nothing. His staff would report the sword when they saw it.

"Thanks for dinner," Faith said. She moved up closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder and then slowly ran it down his chest. "If this was a real date like I thought and not you checking out the new player in town, our night could have had a very different ending—a highly pleasurable one." To make her point clear, she leaned up and pulled his head down, kissing him very thoroughly.

Bruce worked hard to control his reaction as he sensed it was just a game to her, and he had no desire to give her that kind power over him. When she pulled back, he smiled. "That was very nice," he said.

Faith was surprised at his controlled response, but she played it equally as cool. "Yes, it was," she said. Then she stepped back. "I'll see you soon," she said.

He watched her walked out her door, and then he followed her. When he walked to the nearest elevator, he expected to see her there, but she was nowhere in sight.

Grinning, he pulled out his phone to call his driver. He would definitely be seeing her soon.

_******Smallville*****_

Martha Kent was home for the weekend. Her job as state senator seemed to take up more and more of her time. She was thinking of retiring and spending time at the farm. The job didn't seem to give her as much joy as it first did. Truthfully, she was going to wait until Clark made her a grandma before retiring, but since Lois died, she didn't know if that would ever happen. She was so worried about him now that he lost her and was driven to battle real life monsters. If only he would let Martha help him more. She hated feeling so useless. Although her job allowed her to help strangers from a distance, it was hollow if she couldn't connect to them on a personal level. She'd wanted to be a mother since she got her first doll as a child. Raising and mothering Clark had been the greatest joy and privilege of her life. Not being able to stop him from hurting now made her feel so helpless.

She'd came home hoping she'd feel better, but it wasn't working. Now that Clark had all the farm work leased to a neighboring farm, there just wasn't enough to keep her very busy when she was home alone.

Fighting a rare feeling of loneliness, she was hanging up some sheets on the line when someone landed close to her. Expecting Clark, she blinked in surprise to see a very attractive brunette dressed in white.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi," Cordelia said, smiling. "You're Martha Kent, right?"

"I am," she said. "I think I know who you are. Cordelia Chase?"

Cordelia grinned, her smile so dazzling that Martha was momentarily stunned.

"That's who I was. I'm very different now, so I've got a Kryptonian name, Cora Jor-El," she said. "Technically, I'm now like Clark's half-sister of sorts or a female clone of his. Jor-El fused my regular human body that was basically poisoned by evil with Clark's DNA."

"You are incredibly beautiful, dear, and I am very happy to welcome you to the family—not that your looks have anything to do with my welcome," Martha said with a warm smile.

Cordelia laughed, liking the woman instantly. "Thank you," she said.

"We're family, so come give me a hug," Martha urged. She held out her arms to Cora, who hesitated only a moment before she stepped into them.

It'd been so long since a parent figured hugged Cordelia that she started to cry. There had been so many things happening to her that she'd never stopped to mourn what she lost. Could she ever go back to her old life? Did she even want to? What was her purpose now? Feeling an incredible sense of loss, the tears just kept coming.

Martha wasn't too surprised by the woman's sudden breakdown as she had been through an incredible transformation. "It's going to be okay, dear," she assured. "I promise." Comforting the hurting girl gave her a renewed purpose.

Somehow, Cordelia believed her.

****** _Chapter End*****_


	11. Vampires Are Real

_*****Gotham*****_

Clark couldn't believe that Wolfram & Hart managed to trap him. He tried everything to get out of the box they'd put him in. His heat vision didn't burn through it, nor could he push his way out. Never had he felt so powerless, and he realized that they must be using magic. His encounter in high school with some witches didn't go so well, but he didn't realize that magic users could actually trap him. He reached inside his pants and took out his cell phone. Luckily, he still had a signal.

"Buffy," he said.

"Clark, is everything okay?" she asked.

"Not exactly. Gotham's branch of Wolfram & Hart managed to trap me in some box," he said.

"But they didn't take away your cell phone?" Buffy asked in amusement.

"Nope," he said, grinning. He waved at the witches who were eying him.

They must've done something, though, because his phone went dead. Shrugging, he put it away. That was fine since he managed to get his call out.

Faith was having lunch with Bruce, something she did nearly every day since she'd been to town. She and Bruce didn't have any more dinner dates because neither was sure they wanted to take things further. Both was feeling out the other. Bruce helped her find a nice house—one of his properties. He insisted on not charging her rent since she was helping keep the city safe. After talking it over with Xander, she agreed.

Xander was sending her a team to help patrol the city, but they hadn't arrived yet. Kennedy was giving him trouble with the selection. Faith wanted to fly to Cleveland and beat the girl's ass, but Xander wouldn't let her. Things between Willow and Kennedy were rocky, and Willow had left Cleveland to get some perspective.

Faith just finished telling Bruce about the demon nest she'd uncovered the night before.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asked, annoyed. She didn't seem inclined to welcome him very far into her world, and it was beginning to frustrate him.

"Because you're just a normal guy," she said with a shrug. "A very fine looking, rich one, but a normal guy, nonetheless. What could you do?"

Her prejudice against him for not having superpowers was starting to piss him off. "I'm not just some guy, Faith. You know that!" he said.

Faith just grinned, flashing her too-sexy dimple at him. "Yea, I know you're not, and I'm not about to let you go getting hurt fighting demons that are way stronger than vampires," she said. "Alfred would get really pissy with me if I let you get hurt."

Bruce gritted his teeth. "I can more than take care of myself—as you well know," he said in a near growl.

"You can against criminals and thugs," she said. "A newbie vamp, sure. But, no, Bruce, you can't handle demons."

"You allow your Watchers into the field, right?" Bruce asked. He'd spent the past several days learning everything he could about her world. What she didn't tell him, he researched or had Alfred tell him.

"True, but bad things happen to them," Faith said. "Giles has been knocked unconscious more times than I can count. Willow was hospitalized once. Xander had an arm broke and an eye gauged out—an _eye_ , Bruce."

"Surely, you know that wouldn't be me," Bruce said. "I know very well that your friend Xander was never trained. You guys let him into the field without any real training while I was trained by experts for years. Not to mention, I wear protective armor."

"Fine," Faith conceded. "I'll let you come next time."

Her placating tone irritated the hell out of him, and her smirk let him know that she was very aware of how irritated he was. Luckily for her, a ring from her phone interrupted them.

"What's up, B?" she asked. When she stood, Bruce waved at the server. "Damn. Okay, we'll head there."

"What's wrong?" Bruce said, telling the server they needed to go.

"Superman's in trouble over there at Wolfram & Hart," she said. "We gotta go."

They raced out of the restaurant, heading to their vehicles. Bruce jumped into his car, heading to his bat cave to change.

Faith, though, jumped on her motorcycle and drove to the law office. When she got there, she saw Superman dressed in black in the front of the building. A shimmer was all around him, and there was about a dozen people all surrounding him.

She parked her bike and got off it. There were people on the street looking at the spectacle. Clearly, they were using magic to contain Superman. Who knew he was vulnerable to the magics? She was, too, so she had to think. What to do? If she attacked, they'd just put the magic mojo on her, too. This one would require more finesse.

She casually walked up to the growing crowd. "Oh my God! They're doing something to hurt Superman!" she yelled. She goes up to the closest one, who she sensed was a magic wielder. "Hey, stop messing with Superman!" Then she slugged the guy in the face.

"Yea, stop hurting Superman!" a guy cried.

"Wolfram & Hart employees are trying to hurt Superman!" Faith yelled, trying to pump up the crowd. More people stopped and joined in, yelling at the lawyers, their security and their witches.

When Batman arrived on the scene, he saw a mob of people surrounding the front of the building. He pushed his way through, taking in the few men and women clearly chanting. Faith had knocked one to the ground and was working to rile up the others. Surprisingly, he was impressed with her ingenuity. The lawyers would have her thrown in jail for assault if she was too direct. She was screaming in the face of the Wolfram & Hart employees, but she wasn't outright attacking.

"It's Batman!" someone shouted. People moved out of his way, so he got up to where Faith was standing.

"Nice of you to join the party," Faith said, smirking.

"Thanks for the invite," he said.

Then Bruce shot the rappel line out of his right hand, wrapping it around the legs of the closest Wolfram & Hart employees. Then he did the same thing with his left hand.

"Is that all of them?" he asked Faith.

"I think that's the mojo peeps, but the lawyers are still standing," she said, glaring at them.

"We have the right to protect ourselves," one of the lawyers said.

"Superman doesn't hurt humans," Faith said.

"Release him," Batman said to the lawyers.

The lawyer spoke into his phone, and the shimmer around Superman dissolved.

"Thanks, Batman," Superman said. He smiled at Faith before turning and heading back to the front entrance.

"Stop!" one of the lawyers shouted.

Without hesitating, Superman went through the building, destroying all the vampires he encountered.

When he came back down, the news crews had made it there. Reporters were shouting questions.

The senior lawyer approached Superman, a reporter and a video camera in his wake.

"You are trespassing, sir. You have no right to be here!" the man ordered. "All our offices have filed suit against you. The restraining order we filed forbids you from coming within one hundred feet of our facilities."

"You think you can hide behind the law?" Superman said grimly. "I don't care what junctions you file. You keep harboring vampires, and I will keep destroying them."

A reporter gasped. "Sir, are you saying that vampires are real?" the reporter asked.

Clark considered his response and then nodded. "Yes, vampires are real. There is an entire realm of supernatural creatures living on this planet," he said. "Wolfram & Hart harbors evil creatures and works to promote the most evil and vile activities while protecting the worst of humanity."

"All creatures deserve the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," the attorney quoted.

Clark ignored the lawyer and looked directly into the camera pointed at him. "Vampires look like humans, but they are demons, who have stolen the bodies of humans. The humans are dead, and they are hijackers. Killing vampires releases the body and sends the demons to the afterlife. They are nothing more than parasites," he explained, careful not to use the word hell. Vampires were enough for them to handle.

"You can't expect us to believe this?" another reporter asked.

"I don't really care what you believe," Clark said. "I have never lied to you. There are plenty of people in the world who know vampires are real. There are women and some men who train to kill them and protect humanity. They're like a plague on this world, and I didn't know they existed until very recently."

"So your mission has changed?" another asked.

Clark nodded. "Yes. No longer will I focus all my energy chasing after humans who hurt other humans. There are other heroes and law enforcement who can handle them," he said. "Now I will be working with the supernatural crime fighters to help them push back the hold vampires and other demons have on this world."

More questions were thrown at him, but he figured he did enough damage. He jumped up and away.

He could hear a voice on the air. _Clark, it's time to come home. Clark, can you hear me? Your sister is here. Come meet her._

Clark smiled and flew toward Kansas.

Down below, Faith was still reeling. She walked toward her bike with Bruce in step. "I can't believe he just did that," she said.

"Yes, he's kicked over a hornet's nest now," Bruce said grimly.

"They're going to pick a part everything he said," Faith said. "He's put all of us at risk."

"Not necessarily," Bruce said.

"He said women first, Bruce. Women and some men," she quoted. "There's already entire websites devoted to the rumors about us."

"I wouldn't worry about what he does," Bruce advised. "Let's just focus on this city and let Superman fight wherever he wants to. Hopefully, he'll stay the hell away from Gotham."

"He better because I don't need no paparazzi following me around," Faith said as she threw her leg over her motorcycle.

She couldn't see all of his face behind his mask, but she could tell he was smiling.

"No, we wouldn't want that would we," he said. "I'll see you soon." Now it was time for him to begin studying all the media clips he was sure were currently playing and help Faith prepare for the fall out of Superman's announcement.

There would be consequences to what Superman put out in the world, and Bruce would have to do his part to contain the damage. Like Superman, he couldn't go back to pretending the supernatural world didn't exist. It was a threat as real as the alien threat—possibly a greater danger to the planet.

He got in his car. "Alfred, did you see that?" he asked.

"I did, sir," Alfred said. "That was a bold move."

"Bold or foolish?" Bruce wondered.

Time would tell.

****** _New York******_

"Buffy, are you watching the news?" Dawn said, running into the kitchen.

"No, I'm eating a sandwich," Buffy said. "I'm waiting for Faith or Clark to call. He's ran into a bit of trouble in Gotham."

"I know. He's on the news right now," Dawn said. "He just told the world that Wolfram & Hart was harboring vampires."

"What?" Buffy asked, standing up and running to turn on the nearest TV. They were playing the clip of Clark sharing Buffy's truth with the world. "He didn't!"

"He did," Dawn said. "I'm not sure whether to cheer or yell. What does this mean?"

"He might as well have said vampire slayers are real, too!" Buffy said in annoyance. "I'll call Giles."

She called Giles, waking him up. When Giles heard the news, he said, "Bloody hell!"

"My feelings exactly. What do we do, Giles?" she asked worriedly.

"We have to wait and see what happens. If the American government supports what he says or condemns him," Giles said.

"Clark's so hell bent that he could offer up proof if they try to condemn him," Buffy said.

"We'll have to see how this plays out," Giles said. "I wish he'd remained silent, but he has to follow his own path."

"I'm going to contact the Xander. I'll keep you posted," she said.

"What did he say?" Dawn asked.

"He was shocked," Buffy said. "He says we have to wait and see what happens. The government might not back what Superman said."

"I can't believe they'd condemn him," Dawn said.

"I'm not sure about anything anymore," Buffy said. "We know parts of the government are in the know, but we don't know if it goes to the top." She pulled out her phone. "I'm going to call him."

Clark was almost home when his phone rang. He paused in mid-air to pull out his phone. When he saw that it was Buffy, he answered it. "Hello," he said.

"Clark, how could you do that? You had no right to do that!" she yelled.

"I'm no good at deception, Buffy," he said. "I'm not going to lie and hide in the dark."

"But you might as well have said vampire slayers are real, too, why you're at it, Clark. This is my life you're messing with," Buffy fumed. "You could've at least talked to me before you went blabbing to the world!"

"I didn't exactly plan it, but I did mention to you that this would be a possibility," he pointed out.

"Where are you now?" Buffy asked. "We need to talk."

"I'm heading home to Smallville," he said. "I have to meet someone that's there." He considered that Buffy knew his new sister much longer, and she should know what was happening with Cordelia. "Why don't you come to Smallville? We can talk, and you can meet someone."

Buffy was surprised by the invitation but agreed. "Okay. Send me your address, and I'll see what I can do," she said.

Clark said goodbye and dropped down on his family farm after sending her the address. When he opened the kitchen door, his mother was there. However, she wasn't alone. "Clark!" his mom said, moving to embrace him.

Cora El, formerly known as Cordelia Chase, stood up, flashing her toothy smile. "Hi," she said.

Clark hugged his mom and then turned to the woman, who was looking much different than the last time he'd seen her. "You look so much better, Cordelia," he said.

"I feel better," she said.

"Clark, she picked a Kryptonian name," Martha said.

"Cora," she said. "Cora El. Jor El said that technically, we're related."

Clark grinned at her and held open his arms. "Welcome to the family, little sister," he said.

Cora grinned and stepped into his arms.

***** _Chapter End*****_


	12. Sharing Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the show, it was hinted but not confirmed that Lois' dad knew about Clark's identity. I'm going with that he knows. Remember, my story is set after Smallville season 10, but it does not follow the comics.

_ ******Kent Farm****** _

Clark watched in bemusement as his mother and Cora chatted together like they had known each other for years.

"I was telling Cora about your dad," Martha said.

"Dad was the best," Clark said.

"I wish I could've met him," Cora said.

"Are you planning on contacting your family?" Clark asked her as he sat down at the table.

"I wouldn't know how," Cora said. "My dad didn't pay his taxes, and when the IRS came for him, he and Mom left me alone in Sunnydale. Then the bank came for all our stuff, and I had to leave and get a job. I'd sold some of my jewelry before they came for everything, so I had enough for a few months rent at a crappy apartment. It was pretty awful."

"That's horrible!" Martha said, upset on her behalf.

"I'm sorry," Clark said with sympathy.

Cora shrugged. "It's okay. My friends in L. A. became my family," she said. "I bet they're pretty lost without me right now."

"I sent our cousin Kara there to help them out. Your friend Angel is playing a dangerous game with that demon law firm Wolfram & Hart," Clark said.

"They've been a thorn in our side since Angel first came to Los Angeles," Cora said. "What have they done now?"

"It's probably best if I let Angel tell you," Clark said. "But remember the man you've known him to be before you rush to judgement."

"What has he done now?" Cora asked in exasperation.

"He is now in charge of the Los Angeles office of Wolfram & Hart," Clark shared.

"What?" Cora asked in disbelief.

"He had a really good reason," Clark said. "One involved saving your life."

"I'm going to kill him," she threatened.

"Remember, honey, that you now can do that with ease," Martha said. "You have to be careful and not let yourself lose your temper."

"Yea, I know," Cora said, taking a deep breath.

"You know Angel is the reason I helped save you," Clark shared. "I was destroying all the vampires working for Wolfram & Hart, and Buffy told me Angel wasn't evil even if she didn't know why he was doing what he 

was doing. So I went and spoke to him, and he told me what had happened with him."

"What happened?" she asked.

"That's not my story to tell," Clark said. "Plus, I think it's better if you hear it from him."

"What am I supposed to do now?" Cora asked. "I can't go working for Wolfram & Hart! You don't know what they've done to us over the years. I'm not sure how he convinced the boys and Fred to work for them."

"He truly believes he can destroy them from the inside," Clark said.

Cora rolled her eyes. "He's an idiot," she muttered.

"Men often are," Martha said calmly.

Clark gave a half-smile and knew not to argue. He was an idiot a lot of time. "Buffy would agree with that. She was really upset that I revealed that the supernatural exist," Clark said.

"We saw your announcement," Martha said. "Was that a good idea? People are scared."

"Fear of the unknown is worse, I think," Clark said.

"You basically said that girls fight monsters," Cora said. "It's not a big stretch to go to slayer. Buffy's going to have your ass. I've seen the slayer when she's mad—it's not pretty."

"I didn't mention slayers," Clark said defensively.

"You said girls were fighting before you said men," Cora pointed out. "That's not normal. Men always come first."

"She's got a point, Clark," Martha said. "Hasn't the slayer been fighting monsters a long time?"

"A lot longer than you have," Cora said. "I met Buffy when she was fifteen. She's saved my life more times than I could personally count. When the mayor of my hometown ascended into this giant snake demon and tried to eat my graduating class, Buffy led everyone to battle him. She's the only reason so few weren't slaughtered on my graduation. I mean, we've never been particularly close, but I know what's she given up to save the world."

"I know," Clark said. "She's on her way here, so she can yell at me in person."

"Sucks to be you," Cora said with a grin.

She was telling Clark all about her time with Jor-El when she heard a loud cry. "Did you hear that?" she asked Clark, stopping her story.

Clark paused to listen. "There's a house fire in Metropolis," Clark said.

"We have to go help," Cora said.

"I can't focus on every fire and criminal out there," Clark said stubbornly.

"Clark, you know you have to go help," Martha said.

Cora stood. "I will if he won’t," she said. She pulled a white eye mask that Martha had made for her, and then she blurred away.

"Clark, she's not ready to work alone," Martha told him.

"Yes, I know," Clark said, getting up and going after her.

When they got to the high-rise apartment building, there were flames coming out of three of the upper floors.

"You work on putting out the fire," Clark said. "I will look for people in the building."

Cora ignored the cheers at Clark's presence and the many eyes on her as she used her freeze breath to put out the flames.

Chloe and Oliver were at the watchtower watching the news when the report of the black cloaked Superman was reported.

"Who's the Kryptonian in white?" the news caster asked her male counterpart.

"I do not know," he said.

Chloe spit out her drink and gaped at Oliver. "Is that Kara? She looks a bit taller," Chloe said. "That doesn't look like a wig."

"I knew he wouldn't stay away from the little guy no matter how many world proclamations he makes!" Oliver said, taking out his phone and texting the rest of the league.

"I hate that he has cut himself off from everyone," Chloe said. "I'm his best friend, and I have no idea who that woman is! It's not right, Ollie."

"I know," Oliver said, putting away his phone. "It's going to take time. The slayers are very pissed about his announcement."

"The President hasn't made a statement yet," Chloe said. "He could refute what Clark said."

"It's too easy to prove, and the President has to know that, though," Oliver said.

The camera showed Clark bringing out almost a dozen people.

When Cora put out the fire, she heard a loud barking and moved into the building. "Uggh. This cloak better be soot-retardant," she muttered as she grabbed the puppy cowering under the sofa. "Come on little guy."

She floated down to the throng of people as they cheered.

"Charlie! You found Charlie!" a little boy yelled, running up to her. She could feel the flashes of cameras as she handed the dog to him.

"Superman, do you have a few minutes to tell us about your new friend?" a reporter asked.

"This is my newly found sister, Cora—I guess, you can call her Superwoman," Clark said, smiling at the reporters.

"I thought you were the last Kryptonian," another reporter asked.

Clark hadn't considered how he'd explain Cora's presence and considered Kara. "When I was a baby, Kara, my first cousin, and my sister were sent with me," he said. "Kara was actually twelve at the time. But their ships got knocked into an asteroid. The best I can explain is there was a period of suspended animation because both are now younger, so instead of an older sister, I have a younger one. I only recently found Cora, though, as she had no memory of her Kryptonian origins."

"Can you give us a few words, Superwoman?" the reporter asked Cora.

"While my cousin is fighting his new battle with the demons that plague this world, I will be around to help out wherever I'm needed," Cora said, deciding on the spot.

"So you know about the vampires?" another reporter asked.

"Well, yes, I spent many years in Sunnydale, which was on a hellmouth," Cora said. "I knew about them before I knew about my brother being alive."

"The city that is a big crater?" another asked.

Cora nodded. "That occurred as the city's guardians closed the hellmouth, preventing the end of the world," she said. Oh, yes, Buffy was going to be pissed. She grinned at the thought.

Chloe and Oliver weren't the only ones watching the news report. General Lane considered all the new information as his phone rang.

"Hello," he said.

"Are you watching the news? Superman has a sister."

"Mr. President?" he asked, not sure.

"Yes, Sam, it's me," he replied. "What is our stance on the supernatural?"

"Well, we know it's real. My daughter was killed closing that hellmouth," General Lane said. "If you come out against Superman, you will put yourself in a precarious position. He can prove it. What if he captures and kills a vampire in front of a live TV audience?"

"Your daughter's death is what pushed Superman to this course of action," the President reminded him.

"I know this, sir. He's a good man—one we can trust," General Lane said. Clark had no real idea how much Sam knew about him, but his daughter was never that good at lying to him. He'd known for years that Clark Kent was Kal-El, known to the world as Superman. That meant that each President knew also. However, the secret was only shared with them. General Lane wasn't going to risk his daughter's happiness by allowing too many people to be in the know.

"But these slayers and this new sister and now a cousin are unknowns. I don't like not knowing the players," the President said. "Buffy Summers is a loose cannon, but she has proven that she will die for this planet. I know where her loyalties lie. Now, though, there's an unknown number of slayers just like her. That's a potential problem. If she's not working for us, she's a potential enemy. You need to get Superman to broker a deal of some kind between her and her slayers. We need to know that they put America's interest first."

"Summers got my daughter killed, sir," General Lane reminded him.

"There are always casualties in a war, Sam. You know this," the President said.

"She wasn't a soldier, sir. She shouldn't have been there," he said.

"You want your pound of flesh? Well, you can't have Summers," he said. "She's too important. The Prime Minister of Great Britain would give us hell. Not to mention, we have an American in charge of a group with such power. If she's taken out, we'd have to deal with her number two, and Faith Lehane is a criminal."

"So you are authorizing me to capture other slayers?" he asked.

"Do not harm any of the slayers, Sam," the President said. "However, you are authorized to vet them. We need the names of all of them. We need to know where their loyalties lie. The same goes with Superman's family."

"I will speak with Superman and Miss Summers," General Lane said.

"Keep me posted," the President said.

He put down his phone, considering his next move. He buzzed his assistant. "Schedule a trip to Smallville in the morning," he said.

"Yes, General," his assistant replied.

It was time to speak to his almost-son-law.

***** _Smallville******_

When Buffy arrived at the address that Clark gave him, she was surprised. There were miles and miles of corn. Then when she approached the house, there was an actual red barn. The house, though, was exactly as she pictured his childhood home.

Clark went to the front porch when he heard a car approach. The sun hadn't yet set for the day, so he watched Buffy get out of the car rental.

"Nice place," Buffy said, looking around.

Clark walked down the steps to greet her. "Thanks," he said. "Thank you for coming."

"Well, I caught a flight into Metropolis and rented this car," she said. "I heard about the fire rescue on the news. You're just full of surprises. A sister? What the hell is going on, Clark? You don't have a sister."

"He does now," Cora said as she came out onto the porch, grinning down at Buffy.

Buffy looked up at a very familiar face in surprise. "Cordelia?"

****** _To Be Continued******_


	13. Showing Your Card

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As I am basing this story off Smallville’s season 10, the Lex Luthor is a clone of the original with a potential to be good, not just a supervillain. He doesn't have the history with Clark and only some imprinted memories. The final season was a bit vague, I thought, about Lex's status as Tess had wiped his memory. It seemed to hint he might be President one day. Also, I've not brought it up yet in the story, but Chloe and Oliver have been married for several years as they got married on the show. This is a few years after the show has ended. Therefore, it's only natural that they'd have a child.

_ *****Where We Left Off, Smallville***** _

Buffy thought her eyes might be betraying her as the woman standing on the porch looked exactly like Cordelia but more. "Is that really you, Cordy?" she asked.

"What? This blinding smile didn't clue you in?" Cora said with a wide smile as she stepped off the porch. "But I go by Cora now."

"You're okay!" Buffy said, moving to give her a hug. When Cordy didn't complain about the hug, Buffy looked at her closely. "You've changed."

"Yep. I'm a Kryptonian now," Cordy said. "Clark's A.I. daddy fixed me after I was screwed up by my second demon pregnancy."

"You and Xander are such demon magnets," Buffy said with a smirk. "I'm still convinced you might've been soul mates."

Cordy who was now Cora laughed. "We do have some sucky luck," she said.

"Clark, are you going to ask your guest to come in or leave her on the porch?" Martha said.

Clark was shadowing Cora, waiting a bit anxiously for Buffy to start yelling at him.

"It depends," Clark said, smiling warily at Buffy. "Do you plan on slapping me?"

"I considered it," Buffy said with a glare. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Come inside to yell at him," Marth urged. "I'm Martha Kent."

"It's great to meet you," Buffy said, shaking her hand. She gave the woman a friendly smile as she followed them into the house. "I'm Buffy."

"Yes, I've heard a lot about you," Martha said. "You know, dear, Clark has always been impetuous—ever since he was a boy. Can I get you a cold drink or coffee?"

"Water if you have it," Buffy said, struck by the woman's warmth. Suddenly, she felt too shy to yell at Clark like she wanted.

"Please, have a seat," Clark said, gesturing to the living room.

Buffy sat on the sofa, and Cordy at next to her. "I'm so glad that you're better. Angel will be very happy," Buffy said.

"Yes, I'm going to go see him soon," Cordy said. "Maybe you can explain what he is doing working for the law firm of evil? Clark won't tell me."

"It's not my story to tell," Clark said.

Buffy's glare returned—Martha's hospitality no longer a deterrent as she considered what Clark and Cordy had done to her and her family. "That's rich coming from you. You didn't have any trouble telling my story on the news," she said. Then she turned her glare to Cordy. "How could you reveal the truth of Sunnydale, Cordy?"

"It's Cora now," Cora corrected. "I'm no longer human. I have Clark's DNA now, so It's Cora Jor-El."

"I don't care what you call yourself," Buffy said, her anger growing the more she thought about it. "Clark said more than I liked, but _you_ basically threw us under the bus. My name was in the paper too many times for crimes or witnesses to crimes. I got the class protector award. Everyone we graduated with knows who and what I am. Someone will be happy to blab."

"Time for secrets are over," Clark said.

"You don't get to decide that, Clark! So you're okay with me telling the world who your mother is?" Buffy said pointedly. "Clark Kent is Kal El will be a nice headline."

Now it was Clark's turn to glare. "You can't do that," he said. "You would endanger my mother."

"Sure, I can," Buffy said. "You don't see any harm in crapping all over my life. I have a completely human sister—in case you forgot. And unlike you, I'm not bullet proof."

"How is Dawn?" Cora asked.

"She's doing great," Buffy said. "She's super happy to hear you're on the mend, and she hopes you come see her as soon as you can."

"I bet she's a beauty now," Cora said.

Buffy nodded. "She really is," Buffy said.

"Buffy, I don't blame you for being upset," Marth said with sympathy. "They have not been very discreet. Clark has always chaffed under the restrictions his father and I put upon him when it came to his powers. Now that he's an adult, he wants to be as transparent as possible."

"I'm sorry, Martha. I don't mean to bring you into this, but this is my life he and Cora are screwing with," Buffy said, not willing to let it go so easily. She'd heard Cordy's performance and announcement on the radio as she drove up. "I've been doing this gig since I was fifteen, Clark. I've saved the world several times, and I know the woman you loved died in one of my battles. But I was seventeen the first time I had to kill the man I loved to save the world. Another time, I jumped to my death saving the world and my sister's life—then I was dragged out of heaven by my friends. So I know about loss, Clark. But it doesn't give me the right to crap all over other people's lives any more than your loss gives you the right. You have got to start thinking before you act. You want to do this lone ranger thing, then you and I may not be friends or allies—I'll consider you a threat to me and mine. You don't want me as an enemy, especially when I know you're not invulnerable to magic."

"Are you threatening us?" Cora asked in surprise.

"No, Cordy, I'm being very blunt. Clark's been going around the world kicking over one hornet nest after another, and you and he have now screwed with my life," Buffy said, glaring. "It's not cool."

"No, it's not," another voice said. They turned and saw Willow suddenly in the room.

"How did she get here?" Clark asked.

"Magic," Cora said, eying the witch warily. "Hello, Willow."

"Sorry, Ma'am," Willow said to Martha. "I'm Willow, and I'm so shocked that Cordelia would blab about the hellmouth. I had to come here as soon as I saw the news."

"Good to see you, Willow," Cora said. She stood slowly, not sure if a fight was about to happen.

"What the hell, Cordelia?" Willow said, her eyes flaring black for just a moment. "Lex Luthor just offered up a million dollars to the identity of the heroes who closed the hellmouth."

"What?" Clark asked, stunned.

"Do you get it now, Clark?" Buffy asked.

"I'm sorry," Clark said.

"We have to be on the same team, Clark," Buffy said. "We work together, or everything will fall apart for all of us."

"Now we have to do damage control," Willow said. She looked curiously at Cordelia. "How did you get superpowers?"

"Clark saved my life by fusing his DNA to mine," Cordelia said. "Or rather having his A.I. do it."

"Cool," Willow said. "Why did you blab about Sunnydale?"

"I got caught up in the moment," Cora said. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking!"

"That was dangerous, Cordy. Things are going to be changed now," Willow said. "You've endangered all our slayers. Some are only thirteen years old."

Cora winced, feeling guilty. She would have to do something to protect the slayers, especially if she was the one who put them at risk.

The doorbell rang, and Marth went to answer it. "Hello, Chloe, Oliver," she said.

Chloe hugged her. "It's been too long," Chloe said.

"I'm still waiting for you to bring your son Connor over to see me," Martha said.

"You just saw him a month ago," Chloe said, smiling.

"That's not nearly enough time," Martha said. "I don't have any grandchildren of my own to spoil, and both your mothers are gone."

"Don't worry, Martha," Oliver said, hugging her. "We want you to see him as much as possible. It's just been crazy. I'll have his nanny arrange some time with you here. Now that he's three, Chloe feels a bit better about him traveling."

"The kid is accident prone. Sadly, he takes after me and not Ollie," Chloe said with a grin.

"I guess you're here 'cause you saw the news," Clark said, giving them a sheepish look.

"Yes," Oliver said. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm here 'cause I wanted to meet your new friend," Chloe said, looking at Cordelia. "How do you have a sister? How do I not know? I thought we were your best friends?"

"Sorry, Chloe," Clark said. Maybe he should get the word tattooed to his forehead. "I was asked by Angel to see if I could help his friend Cordelia. She went to school with Buffy. I left her with Jor-El, and he saved her life by fusing her DNA with mine."

"Seriously?" Chloe asked, stunned. "That's possible?"

Clark shrugged. "I guess so," he said. "She'd been corrupted by evil, and there was no other way to save her. Now she's basically related to me with all the powers I have."

Cordelia winced as a vision hit her. "Not exactly true, brother. I have a gift you don't," she said. She looked at Buffy. "I just had a vision of this vampire on steroids attacking a group of people in Metropolis."

"Seriously?" Buffy asked. "Faith and I have been having slayer dreams about those vamps, but we've not seen a hide nor hair of them."

Clark focused, listening for screams in the distance. "I think I've located them," he said.

"It's daytime. How can the vampires be out in the daytime?" Willow asked.

"I don't know," Buffy said grimly. "But let's go take care of it."

"Clark, you stay and visit with your friends," Cora said. "I'll take Willow and Buffy to the new day vamps."

"Is there more than one?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know," Cora said with a shrug. "I only saw one in my vision."

"How do you get visions?" Chloe asked.

"She'll explain later," Buffy said. "Let's go."

They walked outside, and Buffy looked at Cora. "So how do we do this?" she asked.

"Why don't you take Buffy, and I'll follow her essence to wherever you go," Willow suggested.

"You can do that?" Cora asked, surprised.

Willow nodded. "Since I did the spell activating all the slayers, I can sense all of them," she explained.

Buffy yelped in surprise when Cora swept her up in her arms bridal style. "What? Are you carrying me over the threshold now?" Buffy asked as she put her arm around the new Kryptonian's neck.

"You wish you could be so lucky," Cora said with a smirk. She flew Buffy to where she felt her vision was leading her. It was strange. Before, she'd often get images to help her locate the scene, but this time, her recall was with perfect clarity. When she took Buffy to the alley in her vision, she put Buffy down.

Buffy pulled out her stake and looked around. There wasn't a vampire. "Where's the vamp?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that my vision was a bit more prophetic than normal," Cora said, looking thoughtful. "I could see this alley much clearer than any vision I had before."

"Well, Clark told me that he has perfect recall—it's a Kryptonian thing," Buffy said. "It would make sense that your visions would be better since everything else about you is."

"Good point," Cora said. She saw the homeless man from her vision walk down the alley toward them. "That's the victim."

Buffy looked and still didn't see a vampire. Then a door opened from a building 100 feet from them, and a vampire jumped out. The vampire was even bigger than the ones she fought when Sunnydale fell. "Man, is that vamp ugly!"

"Do you want to take a crack or me?" Cora asked.

"I've killed enough vampires," Buffy said. "Why don't you take this one? Use your heat vision if he's too tough for you."

"As if," Cora said with a disdainful sniff. She moved quickly to intercept the vampire before it reached the man, who still didn't seem to notice as his head was down.

"Hey, guy, you need to run the other way!" Buffy called out, getting the man's attention. He finally looked up and saw the monster in his path. Without hesitating, he turned and went back the way he came.

Cora made to hit the vampire, but when she got close enough to touch it, its eyes flashed green. A wave of nausea hit her, and she stumbled back.

"What's the deal?" Buffy asked, approaching.

"I feel sick all of a sudden," Cora said.

"Fine. I'll do it," Buffy said. She moved to get in front of Cora, kicking the towering vampire in the stomach. Unfortunately, her kick failed to move the vampire at all. Instead, the vampire swung at her, and she ducked. Before she could get in another hit, the vampire kicked her in the stomach, knocking her several feet into a nearby dumpster. "Ow!"

"Suck it up," Cora said, going in for a hit. However, when she got too close to the vampire, she felt weak and sick again.

"What's wrong with you?" Buffy asked. "Get him!"

"I can't. I get too sick," Cora said. "It's like he's got some repellant that I sense only when I get near him."

"Well, suck it up, Princess," Buffy said, charging the vampire. This time her hit moved him but not much. "He's made of metal!"

"Move back, and I'll try my heat vision," Cora said. Willow teleported in, arriving at the end of the alleyway.

Buffy saw her and said, "He's the superest of the super vamps we've fought, and he is making Cordy sick."

"Do you want me to try?" Willow said.

"Let me see if my heat ray can get it done," Cora said.

Buffy moved away as Cora aimed for his head, trying to slice it off with the rays. The vampire roared and charged forward. Luckily, Willow froze him in place with her magic. Finally, though, Cora's heat vision managed to sever the neck. The vampire didn't exactly turn to dust.

"What the hell was that?" Buffy asked. "You couldn't get close to it. I couldn't make much of a dent, and even your heat vision had trouble."

"It's not a pile of dust either," Willow said, moving to examine it. The flesh turned to dust, but the bones were there. They glowed green.

"Yes, I think we're frakked if there's going to be a whole lot more of these," Cora said, backing away. "Even its remains make me sick."

"Well, I better take a sample, so we can get to the bottom of that," Willow said.

"You do that, and I'll look around to see if there's anymore," Buffy said.

"I'll go with you," Cora said, walking with Buffy away from the bones. By the time she made it to the end of the alleyway, she felt perfectly fine.

"Let's hope there's not another one in town," Buffy muttered. "Giles so gonna freak."

"How is Giles?" Cora asked.

"He's good. He's now in charge of the Council, so it's all good for the most part," Buffy said. "Oliver Queen loaned Giles his attorneys, so Giles could get his hands on the Council's fund. When I saw how much they had, and I got not a dime of a paycheck, I was pissed."

"Did Giles give you back pay?" Cora asked.

"And then some," Buffy said with a grin. "You and Oz will be getting a check for your help in high school soon, too."

"Cool. I don't want any of the things I got when I might've been possessed by that demon," Cora said with a grimace.

They went down three different nearby alleyways and saw no sign of activity. "No signs," Buffy said. "I don't know if I'm relieved or freaked out."

"I'm both," Cora said. "Let's head back home and tell Clark what happened."

She picked up Buffy and flew back to Smallville. Neither noticed the eyes that were on them.

Ethan Rayne grinned as he watched the slayer fly away. "Should we be worried about the flying woman?" he asked his partner in crime.

Amy's eyes flashed black. "I wouldn't worry. I've been following the Kryptonians for a while now and read everything I could about them. Smallville is the epic center of all the weird stuff without a hellmouth. Instead, it's this green rock," she said as she held up a piece of Kryptonite. "The comet or whatever that crashed was probably a spaceship or debris for Superman's home planet. He said once to a reporter that his people lived under a red sun and didn't have special abilities. This rock not only empowered our vampires, but it made them nearly invulnerable."

"Your theory was correct," Ethan said with a grin. "We've created vampires that are stronger than any—they can come out in daylight as long as not in direct sunlight. Most importantly, Superman and his sister can't easily defeat them."

"This will work," Amy said. "We release a few of our pets all over and let their numbers grow."

"The chaos and fear will be incredible," Ethan said, giddy. "With the world knowing about the supernatural, they will be looking for someone to blame."

"Very true," Amy said. "But what I can't figure out is how Cordelia Chase became a Kryptonian?"

"You know Superman's sister?" Ethan asked in surprise.

"No eye mask can hide that smile," Amy said. "I will enjoy seeing her suffer. Not even dating Xander Harris gave her the humility she deserved." She looked down at her green rock with a smile of satisfaction. Soon, Willow will realize how stupid she was to toss her aside. Buffy will be punished for not even caring that she was left as a rat for years and then left to be victimized by Rack. Only Ethan had cared enough to help her.

Now she would help him sow chaos while punishing those self-righteous do-gooders.

She would finally destroy the Scoobies and anyone they cared about.

***** _Chapter End*****_


	14. Family Ties

***** _Gotham******_

Faith was eating a slice of pizza watching the news when she saw the report featuring some super freaks. She almost choked on her pizza. "That's Cordelia Chase!" she exclaimed.

When she heard Cordelia blab about the hellmouth, though, she looked for her phone. "I'm going to beat that bitch's ass." She dialed Xander.

"Did you just see your ex on TV? How the hell is she Superman's sister? What she doing blabbing about the hellmouth?" she asked, not letting him get a word in.

"Calm down, Faith. Buffy and Willow both are on it," Xander said. "Cordy was dying, and Angel got Clark to fix her. I guess that was his way of doing so."

"So now Queen C is stronger than me? That really pisses me off!" Faith fumed.

Xander laughed. "I bet it does," he said. Someone spoke to him. "Hold on, Faith. Andrew is telling me something."

Faith waited and heard Xander groan. "This is bad—so bad," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"Lex Luthor just offered a million dollars to anyone who can tell him the identities of Sunnydale heroes," he said.

"No f***ing way!" Faith fumed. "I'd turn us in for that amount!"

"Yes, this is not good. So you try to keep a low profile there in Gotham," Xander advised.

"I'll do my best," Faith said. "If you see Cordy, slap her hard for me, okay?"

"You know I don't slap women—they slap me," Xander said.

"Well, tell Kennedy I said to lay that bitch out," Faith said.

"A slayer isn't really a match for a Kryptonian," Xander said. "Kennedy could break her hand on Cordy's face."

"Sounds like a win-win to me," Faith said with a grin. Kennedy was always pissing everyone off with her superior attitude. Willow so needed to get over her already, so no one had to pretend to like her.

Xander snorted. "Okay, well, I gotta go. I'll be in touch," he said, hanging up.

Faith's doorbell rang, so she got up to answer it. She was surprised to see Bruce at her door. So far, they'd kept things professional between them. Besides showing her this place a few weeks earlier, he'd not stop by, and she'd not invited him over. "Hey," she said, opening the door to let him in. "What's up?"

Bruce took her turned back as a sign that he was welcomed to step inside, so he shut the door.

"I just saw the news," he said.

Faith turned toward him, glaring. "Yea, I'm going to kill both Superman and his new sister, who I happen to know was not born a Kryptonian."

"Really?" Bruce asked with interest. "How so?"

"I'd recognize that smile anywhere," Faith said. "Xander Harris, Buffy's best guy friend, dated her in high school. She's Angel's right hand—or was for a while. Then she got possessed by some demon."

"Do you think she still is?" Bruce asked.

Faith shook her head. "No. Superman is a white hat—entirely. He wouldn't be working for no demon," Faith said.

For some reason, Bruce trusted her opinion of Kal-El more than the man assuring Bruce he was to be trusted. In the weeks he'd spent with Faith, he had come to realize that she not only didn't trust easily, but she was a straight shooter with a very strong bull-shit detector. "Maybe Xander can explain it."

"Oh, I already talked to him right before you arrived. He said that Angel asked Superman to fix her, and he did—she's not dying anymore," Faith said with a shrug. "He also told me that Lex Luthor is offering up a million dollars for the identity of slayers. Too many people in Sunnydale know who Buffy and her friends are. Hell, the senior class of her school gave her the Class Protector award and openly spoke about how her graduating class had the lowest mortality rate in years thanks to her. She and Xander armed their classmates at graduation to take out the mayor after he ascended into a giant snake."

"So there is bound to be someone who'd love to make a cool million," Bruce said. "You guys are going to have to get a head of it somehow."

She grimaced. "That's above my pay grade. I might be tempted to get some easy money from Luther, but a pissed Buffy is bad enough. It's Willow you don't want to make angry. She's got enough power to destroy—" she stopped, looking warily. "Destroy a lot." Bruce hated that anyone had powers he couldn't necessarily control or combat. That's one thing she'd learned since becoming friends with him—if that's what they were. Some days she wasn't sure what to call it.

Bruce frowned, not liking that she was keeping secrets. "When are you going to trust me?" he asked.

"I trust exactly three and a half people—Angel, Giles, Xander, and sometimes Buffy," she said. "I bet that's still more than you trust."

Bruce smirked—she wasn't wrong. "We're quite a pair, aren't we?"

Faith nodded. "A match made in hell," she said with a wink.

"Have you had lunch?" Bruce asked. He found himself unable to go more than two days without seeing her as she was quickly becoming an obsession.

"Cold pizza," she said pointing.

Bruce frowned. "That's not a good meal. How about I take you to lunch?" he asked.

Faith shrugged. "It's your money," she said, reaching for her jackets and smokes.

"So I will give you a hundred thousand dollars to stop smoking," he said.

"You know I have about that much in the account Xander set up for me," she said proudly. "We get $10,000 for each apocalypse we help stop, plus paid a thousand-dollar bonus for each particularly dangerous baddie we take out. They counted the time I helped Angel."

"That can't total that much," Bruce said. After spending quite a bit of time with her the past few weeks, he knew exactly how many apocalypses she'd helped with, and she just wasn't in the same league as the Golden Trio as she called Buffy, Xander, and Willow.

"No, but Dawnie has a knack for the stock market. Big Sis didn't believe her, but I gave her my $25,000 and she quadrupled it within six months," Faith said with a happy grin. After she'd bought her beloved bike, she didn't care if Dawn gambled with her money since she was getting a steady paycheck anyway.

Bruce's eyes widened. "Seriously? Buffy's sixteen-year-old sister is that gifted?" he asked. "Why don't you introduce me. I'll tell her all about the program Wayne Enterprises has that pays for college if they work for us for five years."

Faith laughed. "Do you know how many languages the girl already speaks? Giles would kill you if you tried to poach her," Faith said. "Giles may love Buffy more, but he's the closest thing I got to a mentor, teacher, and father. I ain't going outta my way to piss him off."

Bruce sighed. "Fine," he said in resignation. He really needed to meet this man, who seemed to be Ghandi and James Bond rolled into one.

He surprised Faith by driving to her house instead of a restaurant. "You gonna cook?" Faith asked with a wide smile.

"Of course not," Bruce said. "Alfred has lunch ready. I was thinking we can start on that training you were talking about."

Faith's eyes lit up. "Are you finally going to let me train you?" she asked.

"If you let me train you, too," he said. He knew way more forms of fighting than she did, but it was clear that she was better at fighting the supernatural. Although he hated to admit it, she did have much she could teach him. However, he still had much to offer her.

"I love getting a hot piece of ass on his back," she said, looking smug.

Bruce fought to keep his body from reacting to her blatant come-on. Sometimes, her boldness reminded him of Selina, the last woman he'd loved. Selina, though, didn't have Faith's vulnerability nor her strength. And he wasn't just referring to the physical strength Faith possessed.

"How about we make a little wager?" he suggested. "I manage to knock you on your sweet little ass, you give up the cigarettes for the patch. If you knock me on my first, you can drive any car of mine that I own."

Faith's eyes widened. She'd been lusting after two of his bikes and like five of his cars ever since he'd shown her his garage the one time that he'd brought her to his house to meet Alfred. "You got yourself a deal," she said, holding out her hand for him to shake. She ignored the tingles his touch produced—she was so going to enjoy putting him on his ass.

***** _Los Angeles******_

Kara really loved her new job working for Angel. At first, she'd helped Harmony, but once Fred found out about how intelligent she actually was, she was working down in the lab with Fred. Gunn and Spike both had taken her under their wings, showing her a good time whenever they could. Gunn took her to nice restaurants while Spike showed her how to kill monsters. Kara was logging it in her daily emails to Kal-El, and he was starting a database with Jor-El. She didn't quite understand Angel, but she enjoyed watching him bicker with Spike. Their relationship was strange even by human standards.

Wesley told her that they had a very long, violent history. Surprisingly, Wesley was even smarter than Clark's friend Chloe. The most interesting thing about him was that he was sweet on Fred, who seemed oblivious. Kara liked Wesley more for his secret pining, and he let her help out with translations—she was learning so much. Fred was super smart with the sciences, reminding Kara of Clark's dad, Jor-El, who was a scientist. Wesley, though, seemed to know everything there was to know about the supernatural word and the many demonic languages.

Every department seemed to want her to work with them once her perfect recall became known. Even several of the law departments asked for her help on research. It was nice to be so popular. No one but Angel and his closest friends knew about her connection to Superman. Angel had told everyone she was part demon—one of the strong ones that could pass for humans. Strangely enough, no one questioned it. No one except Eve, this creepy woman who was always watching them. Angel said she was a conduit for Wolfram & Hart, so she was clearly evil. Eve seemed to know more than she should about Kara, and she was very cautious when in the same room with Kara. It made Kara suspect her even more for ill intentions.

They were having dinner in Angel's office—something they did a few times a month. Fred called it their family dinner, and she couldn't believe they wanted her there. But they did, so she was happy to feel a part of their little family even if none of them were connected by blood. Spike told her that ties forged in battle or in hell were often stronger than blood ties. Of course, he wasn't one of two people that survived a planet annihilation, but she got what he meant. Kara was touched that they had so easily included her into their group.

This evening it was Lorne, Fred, Wes, Gunn, and Spike all eating Chinese while Angel had the news on in the background. Suddenly, he stood up, unmuting the television.

Everyone looked up as the report of Superman's sister was being shown. Kara looked flabbergasted. "What? I don't have another cousin," she said.

"Looks like Superman is keeping secrets," Gunn said.

"Want us to go beat his ass for you?" Spike asked, hopefully.

Kara frowned and looked at Angel, who was paler than normal. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"That's Cordelia," he said flatly.

Fred gasped. "You're right. It is!" she exclaimed. "Oh, that's so amazin'! She's all better, and Superman made her like him!"

"I knew Queen C wouldn't let that bitch Jasmine keep her down for long," Gunn said, proudly.

Angel looked at Kara. "Can you take me to Metropolis?" he asked.

"Well, yea, but they're probably in Smallville now with my Aunt Martha," she said.

"Can I come?" Lorne asked. Losing Cordelia like that was hard on all of them, but it was particularly hard on Lorne, who loved his queen—she was still considered the queen of Pylea in his own dimension.

"That would be a bit awkward," Kara said. "How about I take Angel and then come back and get you?"

"Or just make Cordy come here. We all want to see her," Gunn said.

Kara nodded. "Okay," she said. "We'll have to wait until the sun completely sets here, though. Luckily, the time in California is earlier than Kansas. Once it's dark here, it'll be dark there."

"It's about an hour or so until sunset," Angel said, his mind racing. Cordelia was alive and better than ever. He had a lot to thank Superman for.

Kara had to see for herself who this new Kryptonian was.

***** _Kent Farm*****_

Clark was explaining the properties of the meteor rock to Willow. His mother had insisted on cooking dinner for everyone, and they'd finished dessert. However, they were lingering, trying to solve this new mystery.

"Why do you guys call it meteor rock if you know it's part of your own planet?" Willow asked. "Wouldn't Kryptonian rock make more sense? It's not just some random meteor rock."

"Yea, it's meteorite rock from Krypton, so you should call it Kryptonite," Buffy said. Then she realized something. "Oh, so the day vamps are somehow infused with this stuff? That's why Cordy—"

"Cora—It's Cora now," Cora said.

"Whatever, Cora," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "It makes you guys sick. Why is that?"

"We think it's because back on his home planet, he didn't have the same powers," Chloe explained. "At least the Kryptonians didn't. We figure when it hits the atmosphere of our sun, the properties change like Clark and Kara were changed. Now his planet would be poisonous to him because he was raised here on Earth."

"If this is the kind of vampires Buffy and her slayers are having visions of, then we have got to be ready," Clark said. "Cora and I can't fight up close."

"Luckily, your fire vision can kill from a distance," Buffy said happily.

"Heat vision," Chloe corrected.

"It doesn't heat things up; it enflames them," Buffy argued. "Besides fire vision sounds cooler."

Clark grinned but didn't try to get in between the two women.

"We have so many fires to put out," Willow said. "We have got to have a plan to address what Cordy, and Clark put out there." When Cora started to correct her, Willow gave her a cold look. "You bullied me from the time I was five, Cordelia. I'll call you whatever the hell I want."

Cora blinked, not used to seeing this side of Willow. "I've not been that person for a long time, Willow. You should know that," she said.

"Well, I've not been that meek little mouse you picked on for a long time either," Willow said. "I don't care what name you call yourself. All I care about is protecting my girls. Do you realize what you've done? I feel every single slayer out there. I made them into what Buffy and Faith are. I put their lives in danger. They're a target because of me, and now you've made it even harder for them."

"You didn't do that alone, Will. It was my idea," Buffy reminded her.

"You know I'm sorry," Cora said. "I was caught up in the moment—I didn't think."

"We know, Cora," Martha said, squeezing her hand. "It's going to be okay."

"We hope," Buffy said flatly.

"Giles is calling all slayers in the field back to the nearest slayer house. We need to decide how we're going to proceed," Willow explained.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Clark looked to see who was out there and felt blindsided. It was Lois's dad. He hadn't seen the General since Lois' funeral several months ago. Guilt filled him as he stared out at the man.

"General Lane is here," he announced, his hand on the doorknob.

Oliver Queen looked at Chloe. "We should leave. We don't want him to start thinking about how close we are to Clark," he said.

"Everyone knows I'm Clark's best friend," Chloe said.

"Still, we don't need eyes on us," Oliver said. "The League doesn't need any attention."

"It's not like we can sneak out the backdoor," Chloe said. "There's only one driveway to this farm. The General's security team will spot us."

Oliver didn't like it, but he nodded at Clark, who was opening the door to greet his almost father-in-law.

"Sir. It's good to see you," Clark said. "Please come in."

Buffy winced. "Clark, what did I say about verbal invitations?" she hissed.

"It's still daylight," Clark pointed out.

General Lane was surprised but pleased to see both Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg there. He would get quite a bit accomplished with this meeting. "Don't worry, Miss Summers. I'm not a vampire," he said. Although he'd been really angry with Buffy for allowing his daughter to be killed, he had eventually calmed down and looked at the situation rationally. She was fighting a war, and his daughter had bravely but foolishly decided to join them. Lois wasn't a solder, but he'd trained her to believe she could be. If anyone was to blame for Lois' death, it was he. Lois was fearless, and he'd loved and cultivated that quality in her. Sam couldn't be more proud of her, but he wished she'd been less his daughter and more like her cousin Chloe.

Clark looked surprised. "So you know about vampires?" he asked.

"Well, you did tell the world all about them, right?" General Lane said pointedly.

Clark frowned, glancing at his mother, who had a feeling that Clark wasn't going to like what the General said next.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Clark asked.

"It means that I know who you are, Clark. I've known for a while," General Lane told him. "You're Superman."

Clark was stunned and couldn't think of what else to say.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

_ I hope you enjoyed this update. Leave a kudos or comment please! Thanks! _


	15. Laying it on the Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I am writing this story as if Chloe is General Lane's niece because I can't remember exactly which side of the family Chloe and Lois were related on. If I'm wrong, forgive me and let it go!

_*****Where We Left Off*****_

Clark was left reeling as his almost father-in-law revealed that he knew Clark's greatest secret.

"How? When?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" General Lane said. "My daughter isn't as—wasn't as clever as she thought he was." She'd been gone months, but he still had trouble speaking of his larger than life daughter in the past tense.

"She was very clever," Clark said. Thinking of her wasn't quite as painful as it once was, but he missed her every day.

General Lane smiled. "Yes, I know, Clark, but I was her father—I knew her better than anyone," he said.

Clark bristled at that implication, but he didn't argue. His mother probably knew him in ways that Lois never had.

"I don't, however, know this new Kryptonian," General Lane said, looking at Cora.

"This is Cora, my half-sister," he introduced.

"Another Kryptonian is welcome. These are dark times," General Lane said.

"I have a cousin, who will probably show up soon since Cora was on the news," Clark said. "I haven't had a chance to explain Cora yet."

"So, Miss Summers, we have a situation," General Lane said. "Clark has told the world of the existence of vampires, and he and his cousin clearly hinted of your existence. Now Lex Luthor is offering up large sums of money. It's only a matter of time before someone sells you out."

"Lots of people in Sunnydale knew Buffy was special," Willow said.

"She armed our senior class to defeat the mayor," Cora said.

"You went to school in the United States?" General Lane asked.

Cora nodded. "I was raised on the hellmouth," she said.

"That's good," he said. Another American superhero to keep people safe. He looked back at Buffy. "I, as a representative of the United States government, recommend that you reveal yourself to the public and give a sanitized version of your world. Protect the other slayers you work with—deflect."

"Like make out they're highly trained soldiers?" Willow asked.

The general nodded. "Yes. In today's world, female empowerment is always a popular line," he said.

"You do realize that people can start suspecting their neighbors are demons or vampires?" Buffy pointed out. "There could be a whole new type of vigilantes—not the good kind."

"Then I supposed Oliver and his group of merry men will have to help keep a reign on that," General Lane said, looking at Oliver and Chloe with a knowing smirk.

Oliver was surprised and glanced at his wife, who wasn't as surprised. He was her uncle after all. "You don't even say hello, and now you are implying what about us?" Chloe said.

"That my niece is the brains behind the Justice League and Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow? Of course, I knew," General Lane said.

"Great," Oliver muttered.

"Relax, Oliver. I know how to keep things secret," General Lane said.

"We could also consider introducing demons that aren't dangerous, like Clem," Willow said.

Buffy nodded. "That might keep people from suspecting their neighbors," she admitted, thinking about it. Did she really want to be in the spotlight, though?

General Lane looked expectantly at Buffy. "Well?"

Buffy knew the man had a good point, and so did Willow. "I can't make that decision without talking to Giles," she said.

"Who is that?" General Lane asked.

"He's our _British_ leader," Buffy said, emphasizing the word British. "And he resides in our headquarters on the Motherland."

General Lane frowned as a confused Clark asked, "Motherland?"

"She's referring to Great Britain, an important ally of America," General Lane said. They could deal with anyone in the UK as they were the closest ally the U.S. had.

"Giles is Buffy's Watcher," Cora explained. "He was our high school librarian—the book guy. He would research all the demons and tell us how to kill them."

"He also trained me to fight," Buffy said.

"You were in high school and killing demons?" Martha asked with a horrified look.

"Well, we lived on a hellmouth—it was kind of a given," Willow added with a shrug. "My best friend Jesse was turned in a vampire, and Buffy saved me and my other best friend, Xander, from a vampire the week she moved to town our sophomore year."

"You poor kids," Martha said. The meteor infected in Smallville was nothing compared to what these kids had dealt with.

"So what are you waiting for?" General Lane asked impatiently.

Buffy looked at her watch. "Giles will be asleep right now, and he doesn't appreciate us waking him up unless it's like a world endage situation or someone's hurt," she said.

"You don't think endangering you and all your slayers is a dangerous situation?" the general asked.

"Nope," Buffy said. "We're always in danger."

"Giles still do that removing of the glasses and the frowning?" Cora asked, grinning.

Willow and Buffy both smiled. "Yep," Willow said. "Then he cleans them as he lectures us."

"Nothing worse than an unhappy Watcher," Buffy added.

"You can't be serious?" General Lane asked. All three women nodded seriously.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and then it opened before Martha could get to it.

"Kara!" Martha said with a happy smile.

"Angel?" Buffy asked in surprise.

"Cordelia?" Angel asked, ignoring Buffy as his eyes were fastened to Cora.

"Hi, Angel," Cora said.

Buffy wasn't used to being ignored by Angel in favor of Cordelia, so she was mildly annoyed when Angel brushed past her to hug her former classmate.

"We saw you on the news," Kara said.

"So this is your other cousin?" General Lane asked Clark.

"How do we have another cousin?" Kara asked.

Clark looked guilty. "Sorry for not telling you sooner," he said. "Cordelia was infected by a demon of some kind. It was killing her, and Angel asked me to save her. I left her with Jor-El, and he decided to splice her DNA with mine to do so. When I came back to the Fortress, Cora was there."

Angel gave Clark a grateful look. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," Clark said.

Angel finally noticed Buffy and Willow. "Hey, Buffy. Willow. It's good to see you," he said, not letting go of Cora's hand.

"Glad you noticed we were here," Buffy said sourly. She wasn't sure she felt jealousy for Angel's clear attachment to Cordelia or if she was just hurt that he ignored her in favor of Cordelia. It wasn't something that she'd experienced before.

Clark noticed that Buffy seemed upset with Angel. He wanted to speak to her, but he didn't feel speaking about personal matters in front of Lois' dad was a good idea.

"Well, I spoke my piece," General Lane said. He handed Buffy a card. "Speak to your leader—this Mr. Giles. Let me know what you decide. I think making you the face of the Slayers is the best way to go. Being prepared to answer questions about the supernatural is a must. Are all demons evil? Why kill vampires if they're just working and not harming people?" He glanced at Clark when he said this.

"Because they're _always_ harming people," Clark said flatly. "They survive on the blood of humans."

"Can they be conditioned to not harm people?" the general asked. He pointed at Angel. "This man is a vampire, correct?"

"Angel has a soul," Buffy said.

"Is that the only way he won't harm people?" General Lee asked bluntly.

Buffy thought of Spike, but Willow spoke before she could reply.

"No, Spike had a chip in his head that the military group in Sunnydale gave him. He can't hurt people," she said.

"So there is a way to contain the threat?" General Lane asked.

Buffy shook her head. "That is a onetime thing—something I will not allow to happen. Vampires are demons who have stolen a body and the memories that belong to the body. By killing them, you are freeing the memories and keeping the vampire from violating others their host loved."

"Angelus massacred my entire family after I was turned," Angel said. "He lives to kill and torment anyone Buffy loves."

"But your soul keeps him in check?" General Lane asked.

Angel nodded. "Yes," he said. "I have the memories of all that he's done, though. Giving vampires a soul isn't a solution as it leaves the person near crazy. It took me a century to finally function normally again."

"Good to know," General Lane said. He glanced back at Buffy. "Call me, and we'll figure this out."

After he left, Angel looked at Cora. "Are you coming home? Lorne and everyone really want to see you," he said.

She glanced at Martha, who gave her an encouraging smile. "You can come here anytime," she told her.

"I can't go back to my old life, Angel. Too much has changed," she said.

"I get that," Angel said. He didn't care if she did or not because he was just so happy that she was alive and well once more—no matter the changes in her.

Buffy felt a sense of loss at how insignificant her place in Angel's life had become. The fact that it was Cordelia that seemed to be the center of his world only made it worse. Sure, she knew that Cordelia hadn't been the self-centered girl she knew in high school in a long time, but she still couldn't help but feel cheated somehow.

"I'm glad you're coming back with us," Kara said. "Your friends really miss you. I've heard so many stories about you."

Cora smiled. "I can't wait to see them," she said. She looked at Clark. "How can I get a hold of you?"

Clark pulled out one of his cards from the Daily Planet and gave it to her. "That's my number," he said.

"Okay," Cora said. "Are you staying here?"

"I think I need to stick with Buffy and figure out how to help her with this mess we've created," Clark said.

"Call me if you need me," she replied.

"Oh, I think you've done enough," Buffy said sourly.

Cora gave her a faint smile—she got why Buffy was pissed and didn't respond.

Willow was surprised at Cordelia's restraint. Maybe, she really had changed.

***** _Gotham*****_

Faith felt the wind on her face as she drove Wayne's CVO Street Glide. She'd driven a few Harley's but not this particular model. The fact that it was red was amusing as hell. Faith just couldn't picture Bruce driving around on a ride motorcycle. Their spar had gone on for a half hour before she won it squarely. No matter how skilled he was—and he was definitely more skilled than she—he just didn't have her stamina. He got tired like a normal human while she was built to fight all out for hours if necessary.

She heard a bike behind and looked in her mirrors, grinning. Of course, he wouldn't be able to keep himself from going after her. When she picked this $30,000 bike to ride, he insisted that she wear a helmet and gave her leather gloves as she already had on a leather jacket. It was not surprising that he decided to join her for a ride outside of the city where cops were few and far between.

As soon as she'd gotten outside the city, she'd opened up the speed, feeling exhilarated to have the wind on her face. Now she glanced to right as he came up beside. The sneaky bastard was naturally driving her second choice the 2010 Suzuki Hayabusa, the fastest bike on the market. Now Faith was kicking herself for going for price over speed as she saw Bruce's grin as he passed her, speeding up.

Although she knew that she would never catch up, she did her best to try. He would tease her by slowing down and letting her pull next to him, and then he'd speed up again. It irked her as much as it amused her. If she was on his bike, she'd do the same damn thing.

Finally, he led her down a long driveway—they were in the boonies somewhere. Hopefully, he knew where he was going. Then he stopped in front of a modest two-story house. There was an attached garage and a pond. When he parked the bike and got off, she followed.

"What's this?" she asked, looking around at the house that was very different from Wayne Manor.

"It's one of my properties," he said.

"No shit?" Faith asked, grinning. "That's cool." She followed him into the house and watched as he punched in a code on the lock around the doorknob. Then a key was inside it.

"That's cool. No need to keep up with a key," she said, impressed.

He turned on a light as they stepped inside, and then he opened a panel, turning off an alarm. Then he pushed a button and the fireplace turned on.

Faith laughed. "Okay, that's impressive. And I see you have an actual bearskin rug in front of it. Is this your love nest?" she asked. "Is this where you bring your chicks and bang'em without Alfred's judgmental disapproval?"

"Actually, I've never brought anyone here," he said.

"You're lying," she said.

"No, really. I just bought it a year ago," Bruce said. "I wanted a quiet place outside the city but private. Something that wouldn't require much maintenance or need staff."

"This is nice," Faith said, putting her hand on the very expensive dark leather sofa. There was a mantle and everything. "I really like this house."

"You do?" Bruce asked.

"It's much cozier than your mansion," she said. Then she turned and faced him. "I think we've spent enough time together."

"We have?" he asked, frowning. He enjoyed spending time with her. Every time was different—she was unpredictable. Bruce found that quality nearly as attractive as the underlining vulnerability he saw from time to time.

Faith reached out and grabbed the sides of his jackets, pulling him closer. "Enough to know that we should get a bit closer," she said with a coy grin. Then she kissed him.

Bruce wasn't sure he wanted to keep resisting her. He allowed her the kiss even as he weighed the cost and benefits of consummating their relationship. They were already seeing each other nearly every day that he wasn't away on business. She had quickly become the most important person in his life—definitely the most important woman. He was attracted to her, and he did want to tie her to him. His worry that she used sex too casually was still a concern, though.

He pulled back a bit, ending the kiss and gazed down into her eyes. "I'm not a toy that you can put down when you feel like it," he said.

"I don't know. I like the idea of having my own boy toy," Faith said with a smirk. When she saw that he wasn't smiling but was serious, she grew more so herself and nodded. "I get what you're saying. You want me all to yourself, no sharing."

"Of course," he said, a touch of anger in his expression at the thought that she'd even consider another man.

"Same goes with you? You're mine as long as we're together?" Faith asked, trying to sound casual.

Bruce, though, was trained in reading expression and saw once more that hint of vulnerability that always intrigued him. She didn't feel as casual as she was making out. He finally smiled.

"How could I possibly want another woman when the most beautiful, sexy, and amazing woman is in my arms right now?" Bruce pointed out. Then he pulled her close for another kiss.

_*****Smallville*****_

Buffy was standing outside on the Kent Farm, watching as Cordelia wrapped her arms around Angel and literally flew away. Angel had thrown a casual "goodbye, Buffy" over his shoulder before leaving. Willow had teleported away just a few minutes before they left, so it was just Buffy.

"Are you all right?" Clark asked, coming up behind her. He could tell she was bothered by Angel's lack of attention toward her.

"I suppose," Buffy said, turning to face it. "It's silly really. Angel and I have been over for a long time, but some part of me really believed that if he couldn't be with me, he just wouldn't be with anyone. How selfish am I?"

"That's not selfish," Clark said. "When you love someone, it's normal to want to never be forgotten—to always matter."

"I know Angel still cares about me, and I don't even think I'm jealous—not really," Buffy said. "I don't think I'm in love with Angel. I just felt like he was mine for so long. Ya know?" The fact that it was Cordelia Chase just made it sting a little more.

Clark nodded. "Yea," he said. "I was in love with this girl named Lana Lang for most of my life—as soon as I noticed girls. In high school, we became friends. Eventually, she noticed me back, and we were together. She was my first."

"Not Lois?"

"Actually, Lois used to date Ollie," Clark said with a fond smile, remembering. "She uncovered his secret identity and was too angry to forgive him, but when she figured out mine, she just gloated for knowing it before I told her. That's when I knew that she was made for me."

"I don't think anyone's made for me," Buffy admitted. "I only seem to be attracted to cursed men, drugged men, or chipped and soulless men."

Clark grinned, not sure how serious she was. "Well, I'm sure all the men who've been close to you count themselves very lucky," he said. He put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Mom's got some pie left. Do you want to get another piece? You can stay the night—she'd love to have you. She loves company. Chloe and Oliver will stick around a bit longer."

"Yes, to the pie and maybe to the staying the night," Buffy said, following Clark. "I better call Giles while you get the pie ready, though."

She called Giles and stepped into the living room while he went into the kitchen to talk to his friends. After she filled Giles in on what General Lane said and Cordelia's new status, he was a silent for a long while.

"It's a lot, huh?"

"That's an understatement," he said dryly.

Buffy smiled as she pictured him taking off his glasses and cleaning them. "So what do you think?" she asked.

"I am very happy to hear that Cordelia is okay," he said, tackling the easier thing first.

"Yes," Buffy said. "Angel barely looked at me he was so fixated on Cordelia."

"They've worked closely together for years, Buffy," Giles said. "How do you think Angel would feel if he knew how close you got to Spike before he died?"

Buffy felt a stab of guilt. "Good point," she said. "Anyway, what are we going to do about Lex Luthor?"

"Hmm. Too bad his mind is too strong for Willow to wipe," Giles muttered.

"Giles!" Buffy said in surprise.

"Well, it'd make things easier. What the General wants to do is understandable," Giles said, considering. "We need to have some control of the narrative. Too many people from Sunnydale know you are the slayer—your entire senior class knows you're special."

"Yes," Buffy agreed. Resigned, she sat down on the couch. "It's going to be me, isn't it?"

"I think you'll be the best one for the job," he said.

"What about Kennedy? She loves the spotlight," Buffy said.

"But no one will keep searching if it's you because too many from Sunnydale know enough about you to suspect you are like Kennedy," Giles pointed out. "If it's you, there won't be a need for them to look for more."

"Fine," Buffy grumbled.

"I will talk to everyone and call you back," Giles said.

"Okay," Buffy said. "I'll catch you later."

She hung up and went to the kitchen. Her eyes lit up when she saw Martha putting a scoop of ice cream on her pie.

"Oh, that looks yummy!" Buffy said, sitting down in the chair next to Clark.

"Mom had a cobbler she had frozen a few weeks ago. She heated it in the oven," Clark said.

"Her cobbler is even better than her apple pie," Chloe said.

"You can do that? Freeze it and get it out to heat up later?" Buffy asked as she accepted her piece.

"Isn't that what you do at the grocery store?" Clark reminded her with a grin.

Buffy's lip stuck out in a pout. "Hey, no mocking of the Buffy," she said.

Clark laughed. "Speaking about yourself in the third person? How can I not mock that?" he asked.

Oliver and Chloe each began to speak to one another in the third person, causing Buffy's pout to get more pronounced and Clark more amused.

Martha hadn't heard Clark laugh in so long that her eyes were riveted on her son as he continued to tease Buffy. Lois had been gone now for eight months. Of course, eight months after her husband died, Martha hadn't thought of anything beyond Clark and her sense of loss, but she wasn't as young as Clark. Clark had a very long life ahead of him, and she wanted him to find happiness again.

She couldn't help but look at Buffy in speculation.

**** _Chapter End****_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are enjoying this story, please leave a comment or a kudo! I give you my thanks in advance!


	16. Lex Luthor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reminder, during the series finale of Smallville, Lex Luthor was resurrected as a clone version and killed his sister Tess after his father was dying and gave the cloned body his heart. Before Tess died, though, she injected Lex with a drug that wiped his memory. The finale fast forwarded seven years when Clark and Lois were finally wedding, and he was flying. They showed that Lex Luthor would eventually be President, so he clearly changes his evil ways and goes back to the potential good guy he was in seasons 1 to 4. However, this story exists six years before that. That means Lex is still forming who he is—at least that's the way I'm writing him. This would be the Lex from Smallville and not Supergirl today. Lex could be the politician Kevin Spader portrayed in House of Cards, or he could be a true humanitarian. I think there's a lot of room for creativity there, and I hope you enjoy seeing him in this story.

_*****The Next Day, Gotham*****_

Bruce woke up like he always did—completely alert. Today, though, was a bit different from other days as he was wrapped around a warm, soft body. He smiled as he looked at the bright sunlight streaming in the window. It was close to noon. No surprise since they had gone two rounds and had reached for each other in the night two other times.

Faith was insatiable, and she made him that way, too. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and stroked his hand down her body. Then she began to stir and turned in his arms, giving him a sleepy, well-satisfied smile. Her hair was in her face, and he brushed it away, causing her to smile.

"Damn, Bruce," she said. "I think you almost wore me out. Did you take one of those little blue pills?"

Bruce gave her a dark look. "No," he said.

She laughed that sexy laugh of hers that never failed to make his body react. "I was just teasing," she said. Then she leaned closer to press her lips against his.

Faith still felt like she was dreaming a dream that she never dared to dream. How did this sexy millionaire choose her and make her feel like she was worth more than a quick roll in the hay? Maybe, that's all it was to him, though.

She sat up, unconcerned about her nakedness, and he watched her closely—almost like he knew what she was thinking. But he couldn't. He hadn't known her long enough to know what she was thinking.

"So I guess I'll get dressed," she said.

"What's your hurry?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I don't do this," Faith said, standing and reaching for her panties.

"Do what?" Bruce asked even though he could see the panic setting in.

"I don't do the couple thing," she said, pulling up her underwear and reaching for her bra. "I tried it with Robin, and it didn't work."

"So you don't think it could work with any other guy?" Bruce said in amusement.

Faith gave him a cross look. "Robin was educated like you are. He was a fighter like you, but he fought vampires and demons. Now he's training the minis," she said.

"Were you serious?" Bruce asked. This is the first time she'd mentioned another lover—at least not seriously.

Faith nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I've never been with a guy like him. He was so together, so educated. But I was never really good enough for him, and he was very uncomfortable with my _uncouth_ ways." She used her fingers to air quote the word uncouth. A bitter smile graced her face. "Yea, I had to look up that word—uncouth."

"He sounds like a pompous ass," Bruce said.

"Not really. He's devoted his life to teaching and protecting teenagers. Now he's a headmaster at one of our slayer schools," Faith said. "But if I wasn't good enough for him, I doubt that I'd be good enough for you 'cause you're so much more in every way."

"That's right," Bruce said, reaching for her hand and tugging her back down. "I am more sure of what I want and want I need in my life. I am more confident, so I would never be bothered by breach of manners. What I want is _you_." He pulled her closer to kiss her. Then he pulled away. "Don't go runnin' scared, Faith. You are braver than that."

"I ain't scared," she said with a snort and tilt of her chin. "I just don't like wasting my time."

Bruce grinned, refusing to let her push him away. "I can definitely make it worth your wild," he said. His lips moved to her neck.

"So is it just sex?" Faith asked, annoyed at her own weakness.

Bruce wasn't sure how ready he was to share his feelings, but he could see that she was on the brink of running. There were no real ties to Gotham, and she could leave at any time. Another slayer could easily be sent in her place. He raised his hand and cupped her cheek. "I have never waited weeks to sleep with a woman. If it was just sex, I would've slept with you the first night we ate together as you know you would've welcomed me."

She smirked. "That's probably true," she admitted.

"You are all I think about," he told her. "Every moment that I'm not specifically focused on work, my thoughts are on you—what you're doing, how you are, when can I see you again. Sometimes, you even intrude on work—it's damn annoying."

Her eyes lit up. "Sucks to be you," she said, gaining back some of her confidence.

"You are sexy as hell, but I've known a lot of beautiful women," he said. "I've loved exactly two women in my life. One died on me, and the other was too broken to ever be a true partner. With you, I see a partner—an equal. Someone who I can learn from, and someone I can teach a few things to. We have the same goals—protect the innocent and defeat evil in any form."

"We sound pretty damn great together," Faith said, leaning into his embrace more. "You keep talking like that and I might start to think you love me."

Bruce turn her chin, so he could look into her eyes. "I'm starting to think that I do," he said softly.

Faith gave him a searching look before offering him a wide grin. "I guess you are as smart as they say you are," she said.

He chuckled and then laid down, pulling her on top of him. Relief filled him as his lips met hers.

***** _Los Angeles*****_

Cora hugged her favorite green friend. "So great to see you, Lorne," she said. All of them had been assembled in Angel's office where she flew to. Kara stood a little a part, but she seemed nice enough. Cora knew that her new mission would not allow her to work for Wolfram & Hart. Even now, it was hard for her not to go through the place and destroy the evil she sensed. Since Kara didn't seem uncomfortable, she wondered if she sensed it, too.

"Hey, Kara, do you sense the evil in this building?" she asked.

Kara frowned as she considered the question. "Not really," she said. "I was twelve when I left Krypton, so I most likely wouldn't sense demons as they'd just register as other aliens to me."

"Well, I can sense it, and it's making my skin crawl," Cora said.

"I got rid of the really evil beings, Cordy," Angel assured her. "I had Lorne go through every single employee, and they sung for him. They can't hide from him."

"They can't hide plans to do harm, but if they think their actions are right, would that register to him?" Cora asked.

"I don't know," Angel said, looking at Lorne.

Lorne frowned as he considered it. "It's possible, I suppose," he said.

"Why do you think you can sense things?" Fred asked, curious.

"Maybe growing up on a hellmouth?" Cora theorized. "Or my demon aspect."

"That's true. Although I would think your new Kryptonian aspect would've rooted out the demon aspect," Wesley said, his eyes lighting up at the new puzzle. "We've never had a being such as you. It's so fascinating. You have all the powers of Kara?"

Cora nodded. "Yes, Kal-el, who everyone calls Superman, has an AI of his dad named Jor-El. Jor-El's the one who actually saved me. He used Kal-el's DNA and sliced it with mine," she said. Clark would be pleased that she actually remembered to use his Kryptonian name.

"Did you hear about Lex Luthor offering up information about Sunnydale?" Gunn asked.

She winced. "Yes, my ears are still ringing from the yelling from Buffy and Willow," she said.

"They were mad, huh?" Gunn wondered.

"That's an understatement," Cora said. "We met General Lane, and he knew about a lot of things we didn't think the government was aware of. He knew who Buffy was."

"Lane? Why is that name familiar?" Gunn asked.

"He's related to Lois Lane, the reporter who died helping at Sunnydale," Angel explained. "He wants Buffy to come out as the slayer to everyone to deflect inquiries about the many slayers."

"That is a good idea," Wesley observed. "Having only one has always been the way things were, so it should be easy enough."

"Cordy, do you want to go to your old apartment?" Angel said. "I kept up the rent, and all your stuff is still there."

"You did?" Cora said in surprise. "That's great, Angel. What about Dennis? Is he there?"

"I actually moved him to my place, so he wouldn't get lonely," Wesley confessed. "I can move him back."

"No, that's fine," she said. "I'm not sure what my plans are, but I do want to go see him."

She didn't know what exactly she was going to do next, but it was good to be back with her friends again.

***** _Metropolis*****_

Lex Luthor's mind was full of possibilities. He had always prided himself on being a visionary—the type of man that looked to the future and imagined how to improve the world. He wanted to be so much better than his father. Although he had lost his memories in the Darkseid attack that killed his sister Tess and father, he had uncovered all his journals. Sadly, he had stopped journaling the last five years of his life. However, he knew enough about his past to know his burning desire to surpass his often cruel and demanding father.

It was strange reading about his life and not having a single emotional memory. Instead, it was like reading a storybook. Now, though, the world was changed. Superman was an alien, who seemed to genuinely care about humanity. His mission was to help mankind, so Lex could support that even if it made him wary. The thought that there could be other alien life out there that might not have Superman's morals, but his powers, kept him awake at night.

Superman's revelation that the Earth held true evil—demons and vampires—was a new worry that consumed Lex. He felt a deep responsibility to use his wealth and his intelligence to help mankind. To know that a threat existed that was beyond what he ever considered rattled him to his very core. He had immediately created an entire department dedicated to researching rumors about the supernatural. Stories about a girl with superpowers who fought demons was found again and again.

When Superman's new sister had been revealed, she confirmed what his people had already discovered. Sunnydale had been a hotspot for evil, and some unknown woman had destroyed the town closing the hotspot forever. She worked with others, who helped her. The unknown woman inspired people to risk their life fighting monsters. This was someone that he had to meet.

"Sir," his assistant buzzed in on his phone, "General Lane is here for your ten o'clock."

"Send him in," Lex ordered.

He stood to greet the general, offering him a seat in the chair in front of his desk.

"What can I do for you, General?" Lex asked.

"It's what can you do for your country," General Lane said with an easy grin. "Yesterday, I met with Superman, his sister, and his cousin. They introduced me to the hero of Sunnydale."

Lex's eyes widened in surprise. "You met her? Who is she?" he asked.

"I can't tell you that," General Lane said. "She has powerful allies that the U.S. cannot afford to alienate. However, she is considering coming forward."

"Really?" Lex asked, unable to hide his eagerness.

"She is considering it. I did my best to convince her of the advantages of having her come forward," he said. "Reassuring the public is an important priority. Luckily, she is an American."

"That is good news," Lex said.

"That's not all I came to tell you, however," General Lane said. "I wanted to give you a folder that I am authorized to share with you. It's got all the information that is not redacted about a military project named the Initiative that took place in Sunnydale nearly four years ago."

Lex nodded, not as surprised. "My people had shared rumors about military involvement in Sunnydale, but I had yet to get a confirmation," he said.

"I can't share any names of people that are currently still alive—nearly 70% of all involved were massacred by a project the leader—a civilian contractor—had allowed to escape her control. She tried to harness demon power with robotics," General Lane shared.

Lex's eyes lit up. "Now that's fascinating," he opened the file. "Was she successful?"

"No. It was an utter disaster," he said grimly. "In fact, I have been warned if the United States tries such an endeavor with demons, we will regret it."

"That's too bad," Lex said.

"However, I was told that at least one vampire was successfully chipped an unable to feed on humans," he shared.

"Is there records of how that was done?" Lex asked, his mind full of possibilities.

"Yes," General Lane said. "However, it's a precarious situation. From what I've been told, vampires are demons who take over the body of a human after they've died, and their soul moves on. They retain all the memories, however, of the human, making it a true violation."

"That's horrible," Lex said. "I can see why Superman is so determined to eradicate them."

"Yes," he said. "So you can see how problematic it would be to chip a vampire?"

Lex nodded. "Yes, I do. However, can we afford to ignore a possible weapon?" he asked.

"I was thinking an elite squad," he said. "The older the vampire, the stronger. However, they probably would not make good candidates as they are still evil and more likely to resent being contained. Newly turned vampires would be the best choice if one wanted to experiment in such a way."

Lex's mind filled with possibilities as he considered the endless potential of such a weapon. "We could simply kill them without any ethical compromises," he said.

General Lane nodded. "That was my thoughts," he said.

"Is this something the military wants to consider?" Lex asked.

"The President will not risk alienating either Superman or the hero of Sunnydale," he said. "He is not opposed to out of the box thinking, but we would have to win over one of the two before we went too far in development."

"Maybe, start with just one or two," Lex said.

"I would suggest three," General Lane replied.

Lex smiled. "Three has always been my favorite number," he said.

***** _Chapter End*****_


	17. Coming Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this update and don't think it's too ridiculous. I just was thinking, what would Buffy decide to do if she DID go public? This is kind of a fun take on it, and not something I've ever done in any of my stories. I hope it works for you!

_*****A Week Later*****_

Faith thought being lovers with Bruce would make things different, and she was right. He wined and dined her three days in a row. They spent each night at his mansion—he was an incredible lover. Then she decided that she didn't want to do fancy anymore. She told him to wear jeans, and then she took him to a pool hall. Of course, he was as good at shooting pool as he was everything else. When a guy tried hitting on her, he didn't get jealous or possessive. Then the guy grabbed her ass, and she put him on the floor.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue," she said with a pout.

"Did you need me to rescue you?" he asked, arching his eyebrow.

"No, of course not," Faith said.

He stepped closer to her, amusement at seeing this side of her. "I see no need to insult you by doing for you what you are more than capable of doing yourself," he said. He pulled her close and kissed her, giving her the reassurance that she needed.

Then her phone rang, and she pulled back to answer it.

"Hey, B. What's up?" she asked.

"Too much," Buffy said. "So Giles said that I need to go public, and Oliver Queen hired someone to be my publicist. Isn't that crazy?"

"No shit?" Faith asked. "Give me a second." She looked up at Bruce. "Let's go outside."

He followed her outside, so she could continue talking to Buffy. "I'm at a bar shooting pool with Bruce," she said as they stepped outside. "We're outside now."

"Bruce Wayne? I heard a rumor that you'd been photographed with him," Buffy said. "Is it serious?"

Faith looked at Bruce, who was leaning against the wall, checking his own messages. "I think so," she said.

"Then that decides it," Buffy said. "I'm coming to Gotham to scope him out."

"Is that why you called?" Faith asked.

"No. I called 'cause I was hoping your fancy boyfriend could help me pick who I should get to come out to," Buffy said.

"Really?" Faith asked in surprise. "You want Bruce to help? Why not Oliver?"

"Bruce has a better reputation than Oliver," Buffy said. "According to my new publicist, people trust him. And Andrew says he's friends with Oprah."

"Oprah?" Faith asked. "Give me a sec." She muted the phone and looked at Bruce. "Do you know Oprah?"

"We've met a few times," he said.

"'Cause all billionaires know each other," Faith said with a snort.

He smirked. "Something like that," he said.

Faith unmuted the phone. "He says he does know her," Faith said.

"Great. I'll be in town in a few days," Buffy said. She hung up before Faith could reply.

"Is everything okay?" Bruce asked.

"Buffy's coming to town," Faith said. "It seems she's got a publicist and wants to come out to the world about being a slayer and stuff."

"Really?" Bruce said. "Is she wanting Oprah to do the interview?"

"I think maybe. She wants you to pick someone as her publicist says you're more likeable and trustworthy than Oliver," Faith said with smirk.

"Well, I'd think so," Bruce said. "Oliver Queen is a spoiled playboy who's never done anything worthwhile in his life except getting lost on an island for five years."

"Seriously? That's what you think?" Faith said, grinning. "I can't believe that big brain of yours has been so fooled by his act."

Bruce gave her a quizzical look. "What act?" Bruce said.

"I'm sure Oliver will be pissed that I'm telling you this, but I'll just have to tell him your secret to make it square," Faith said, looking smug.

Bruce glared at her. "You'd tell Oliver Queen my secret? Why in the world would you do that?" he asked. He hadn't expected betrayal from her, and it shocked him to hear it.

"Only if I told you his," she said.

"I don't want to know his secrets, and I don't want him to know mine," he said coldly. He turned to walk to his car.

Faith quickly realized that she'd miscalculated and followed after him. When he made it to the car, she got in. As he started to put the key in his ignition, she reached out and covered his hand. "Wait, Bruce," she said.

He glanced at her, his face a mask—she hated his Batman look. "We have nothing to discuss," he said.

"We damn well do," she said. "Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow. He's the leader of a band of superheroes. He works closely now with the slayers, and since you're my lover and Batman, he works with you!"

Bruce didn't think she could say anything to make things better, but he was wrong. However, he was still shocked. "That cannot possibly be true," he said.

Faith grinned. "Told you that you were wrong about Oliver Queen," she said.

Bruce considered her words and then Oliver's absence. "The way he's been since his return has been a complete act," he said.

"Yep," Faith said, looking smug. "Now, he's happily married to some computer chick."

"He got married?" Bruce said. "How is that not known?"

"He knows how to be discreet," Faith said. "So are we good?"

"That doesn't mean you can tell him my secret," Bruce said sternly.

"It's only fair," Faith said with a shrug. "But it's not like I see him any. He's more B's friend than mine. He's been working with some of the minis. His team has spent time on the hellmouth in Ohio."

Bruce started the car and went to her place, his mind so distracted by the thought of Oliver Queen as a masked vigilante that he forgot the most important detail.

He was finally going to meet Buffy Summers.

***** _A Few Days Later*****_

Bruce was familiar with the phrase "two sides of the same coin", but he never really seen living embodiments of the phrase. Until now.

Buffy Summers—by first appearance—seemed to be completely different from Faith. She was more classically attractive and didn't possess the sultry sexiness of Faith. Faith was a smart-ass and full of innuendo while Buffy was chatty and extremely outgoing. She had a shoe obsession while Faith had an unhealthy knife obsession. Faith was guarded and distrusting, but Buffy seemed open and upbeat. She also readily accepted Bruce's place in Faith's life.

The first day, Bruce was convinced that the cheerleader was a pale imitation of Faith.

By the second day, he was forced to reconsider. When Faith was in the bathroom, Buffy looked at Bruce with a pointed look. "Are you toying with Faith?" she asked.

"No," he answered honestly.

"If you cheat on her, I will break several of your bones, including the one between your legs," she told him.

Bruce winced but smiled. "I have no plans on doing that. Why would I? There's not a sexier woman alive," he said.

"I'm glad you see that," Buffy said. "Faith acts tough, and she's strong—don't get me wrong. But emotionally, she's very fragile."

"I'm happy she has a friend like you," he said.

"We're not exactly friends—more like sisters because we fight a lot. She and I have an ugly history—I don't know if she's told you," Buffy said. "We've done horrible things to one another. I put her a coma once. She stole my body and slept with my boyfriend. Now we're in a good place, and I believe she's changed a lot. However, there's one thing about her that's the same. She doesn't love or trust easily, and she hungers for a place to belong."

"Doesn't she already belong somewhere? With you and your people?" Bruce asked, surprised by her words.

Buffy nodded. "She does, but she doesn't _feel_ like she does. There's been too much ugliness," Buffy said. "She thinks people always compare her to me, which is probably true, and she wrongly thinks she falls way short. I'm not sure she would ever be happy with the slayers or training a team of slayers."

"I can make her happy," Bruce said.

Buffy smiled. "You already have," she said.

Faith came into the room. "Why are my ears burning?" she asked, giving them a knowing look.

"I was just giving him the normal threats," Buffy said.

Faith's eyes lit up in amusement. "Really? What ya say?" she asked.

"She threatened to break my penis and other bones if I hurt you," Bruce said, making Faith laugh. He loved that she had that full-bodied laugh so few had.

Buffy saw the way Bruce was looking at Faith and relaxed. _He's already in love with her_. The knowledge filled Buffy with joy as so few of the slayers found personal happiness. So far, it'd been elusive for her.

That night, Buffy and Faith went out to patrol, and Bruce couldn't resist following them dressed as Batman.

When the girls came across a nest of vampires, he finally saw the difference in their fighting styles. Buffy fought more like he did—with cool precision. Faith, on the other hand, relished in the fight and wasted energy fighting. Buffy killed five vampires to her three.

Batman decided to jump down and have Batman meet the new slayer.

"Hello," he said.

"Hey, it's Batman!" Buffy said with a grin.

"Yes, I can see that," Faith said, smirking. "We already killed the vamps."

"I saw," he said. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Buffy. She's a slayer like me," Faith introduced. She eyed Buffy to see if she'd notice that Batman was Bruce.

"It's nice to meet you," Batman said to Buffy.

"You, too," Buffy said. She was looking at his outfit with interest. "I can't believe you fight in that thing. It seems way too cumbersome."

"No more than your leather pants," he said dryly.

Faith laughed. "He has a point," she said.

"Leather doesn't weigh as much as I bet that does," Buffy said. "And what's with the cape? You don't fly like Superman. It seems a bit ostentatious, don't you think?"

"No," he said. He dismissed her, looking at Faith. "I noticed that your friend is a more efficient killer. She killed five vampires to your three."

"Slay," both women said, giving him the same glare.

"We don't kill—we slay things," Buffy said.

"We're not murderers," Faith said.

"I wasn't trying to say that you were," he said. "I was trying to point out that you waste a lot of energy fighting that your friend doesn't."

Both women relaxed. Buffy grinned while Faith shrugged. "Yea, I know," Faith said.

"No biggie," Buffy said. "I'm the better fighter mostly because I'm more focused and less passionate. I'm not like Kendra was—the slayer before Faith—but I don't get off on the fighting like Faith does."

"I totally get off," Faith said, giving Batman a knowing look.

Batman didn't want to say more, so he simply left.

"That was kind of rude," Buffy said.

"Yes, Batman is kind of an ass sometimes, but he's good in a fight," Faith said. "Did he remind you of anyone?"

"Tall, dark, and broody like?" Buffy said with a grin. "Totally."

Faith laughed. "I hadn't considered that, but you may be right. He's sparred with me before, so he's not so bad," she said. It amused her that Buffy didn't see he was Bruce, but she had been distracted by the outfit. Clothes were Buffy's weakness.

When they were back at the mansion, Bruce greeted them.

"How did it go?" he asked, kissing Faith on the cheek.

"Five by five," Faith said. "Killed some vamps. No biggie."

"We ran into Batman," Buffy said. "He criticized Faith for her lazy fighting skills."

"Bullshit!" Faith said, glaring at her.

"He so did. He said you wasted energy and killed less than me," Buffy said with a grin. "He couldn't know that I'm just better."

"Not these days," Faith said with a scoff.

"Every day," Buffy said.

"You couldn't beat me unless I was drunk," Faith said.

"Well, come on," Buffy said, gesturing to her.

"The hallway isn't the place for this," Bruce said, frowning.

"Come on, B," Faith said, taking off for the gym.

Buffy chased after her, and Bruce sighed, moving at a slower pace. When he made it to the gym, the two slayers were already engaged. He stood in the doorway watching and analyzing. Faith had a slight height and weight advantage, but Buffy was deadly with her feet, knocking Faith on her back with a hard kick.

Faith popped up easily enough, grinning. "I see you still have some moves," she said.

"You know that I do," Buffy said.

The two kept at it, seemingly without pausing for breath at any point. Bruce was fascinated. Faith was a power hitter, but Buffy seemed to have a gymnastic background. She used it more than once, mocking Faith whenever she flipped around in some acrobatic display. At times, they moved so fast, Bruce had trouble following the movement. A half hour went by, and they still were going at it. He was considering breaking it up as blood was already flying. Then Buffy swept Faith's leg out from under her and pinned her to the ground. Before Faith could bounce up, Buffy jumped on her stomach, pinning her down.

"Give it up!" Buffy said with a wide grin. "I got you pinned." She had Faith's hands locked in hers and was leaning over her.

"Never!" Faith said. She moved her head up and kissed Buffy on the lips, a move which startled Buffy, causing her to let go and move away.

"Gross! No kissing in sparring!" Buffy said, wiping her lips.

Faith laughed. "Hey, Bruce never complains," she said, standing up. She reached out her hand to pull Buffy up.

Buffy slapped her hand, still glaring and got up on her own.

Bruce clapped, hoping to end the conflict before it started back up. The two women fought like they were trying to seriously injure the other, and he wasn't sure that he liked it.

"You have gotten better," Buffy said. Her graciousness surprised Faith, Bruce could tell, and he liked her for it.

"Bruce has been teaching me a few moves," Faith said.

Bruce handed her a towel to wipe her face. "She's taught me quite a bit, too."

"She's very good," Buffy said.

"Yet you still beat me," Faith said sourly.

"You know it's only because I have several years fighting on a hellmouth that you don't have," Buffy said. "You were in Sunnydale a year, so give yourself some time. You'll surpass me eventually."

"You think so?" Faith asked. Bruce could see how much Buffy's opinion mattered to her.

"Of course," Buffy said. "You love fighting more than I do. For me, it's just a job that I'm kind of stuck with. I've resigned myself to doing it, but I don't love it. Not like you do. You love everything about being a slayer."

"Well, yea," Faith agreed.

"That's why one day you'll be better than me," Buffy said. "I'm hungry. Does his kitchen have good stuff?"

"It so does," Faith said, her eyes lighting up. "Alfred keeps only the best stuff. We have to ask him, though. He's worse than Giles. He doesn't like it when people touch his stuff."

Buffy laughed. "He's like Andrew?"

"No, of course not," Faith said. The two walked away, chatting like they just hadn't spent a half hour trying to kill each other.

Alfred made his presence known, stepping in with Bruce as they walked toward the kitchen. "Miss Summers seems very nice," he said.

"She does, doesn't she?" Bruce said. "She's not what I expected."

"No," Alfred said. "The reports on her, though, were very detailed. She is unlike any who have come before her."

"Can I trust her?" Bruce said.

"Faith does, and Faith doesn't trust easily," Alfred said.

They arrived at the kitchen. "There he is! Alfred, come meet Buffy," Faith said when she spotted the butler in the doorway.

Bruce joined them for pie, weighing things in his mind. He watched Buffy and Faith tease Alfred and realized that Buffy wasn't just another slayer to Faith.

She was her family.

So he made his decision.

"Ladies, if you are done with your pie," Bruce said, getting their attention.

"We could be if we got a better offer," Faith said with a smirk.

"I thought we could show her the basement," Bruce said to Faith.

Faith's eyes widened in surprise. "No shit?" she asked.

Buffy looked between them. "What's in the basement?" she asked.

"It's where he keeps all his fun toys," Faith said. Then she moved over to kiss Bruce, who pulled her close.

"Okay, I'm still here!" Buffy reminded them.

Faith turned to her, keeping her hands on Bruce and smirked. "You're just jealous."

"Very much so, and it's rude to keep rubbing my singleness in my face!" Buffy said with a pout.

Faith laughed and moved to put her arm around Buffy's shoulder. "You are in for a real surprise," she told Buffy leading her out of the kitchen, Bruce a step behind them.

A few minutes later, Buffy looked around in shock, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

"Yep. He's Batman," Faith said with a wide grin.

***** _A Few Days Later*****_

Buffy's mind was still spinning at what all went down the past few days. First, finding out that Faith's new lover was Batman. Then the new lover introduced her to Jay Leno as it was decided she would hit the day and night audience in one swoop. _The Tonight Show_ would get to interview first, and then she was scheduled to go on Oprah the next day. During her interview with Leno, Clark showed up dressed as Superman, much to Mr. Leno's glee. He wouldn't get on camera, but he wanted to support Buffy as she was going to be filmed fighting a vampire. Jay Leno was there to witness the entire thing, and they would use the footage on her Oprah interview. Buffy first gave him the whole vampire spiel, and then she did a tutorial on how to slay a vampire.

She and Faith had argued about the wisdom of doing this. Giles said she had to come out at the savior of Sunnydale and slayer, but Buffy didn't think showing people how to kill vampires was a good idea because idiots would go around trying to find some to slay.

Faith argued that she would have to demonstrate how dangerous it was, so Jay Leno had brought three acclaimed martial artists, a huge body builder, and the UFC current champion with her. The guys all signed wavers, unsure if this was a publicity stunt or what. However, their agents all agreed it would be good for their careers as few in their fields got asked to go on Leno's popular show.

They tossed around the idea of taking a team to the hellmouth and filming a vampire coming out of its grave, but Giles vetoed that idea, saying it would be too traumatic for the average person to witness. Then it was decided that Buffy and Faith would capture a few vampires, which they managed to do Buffy's second night in Gotham.

Bruce had arranged for Leno to interview her in Gotham as Bruce had a place for everything in one of his buildings. The vampires were being held until it was time to bring them out. Bruce even got an audience for Jay Leno to film in front of, consisting of mostly his employees.

Leno wasn't sure the vampire and slayer bit was true until Superman assured him it was.

"I wasn't lying, Mr. Leno," he said. "The world is infested with vampires."

"Please, call me Jay," Jay Leno said, nearly giddy as he looked at the man of steel.

"Then you can call me Kal'el," Superman said, smiling at the man.

"Are you sure you won't let me interview you?" Jay Leno asked.

"I don't want to be interviewed," Superman said, not wanting to talk about his loss and new habit of wearing black. "However, I will allow your cameras to film as I introduce Buffy. How's that?"

Jay Leno's eyes lit up. "That would be amazing!" he exclaimed. They worked out the details, and then they were ready.

Jay Leno began his show introducing his fighters, explaining to the audience that the reason for their appearance would be clear very soon. Then he looked at the camera and gave a wide grin. "I have a surprise guest. It's his first time to ever make an appearance on any talk show, and he didn't plan on going on camera as he's a friend of my other guest. The Man of Steel himself, Superman!" he announced.

The audience cheered as Superman appeared wearing his new black suit. "Thank you so much for coming, Superman," Jay said, shaking his hand.

"My pleasure," Superman said. "I wanted to come and support my friend, who I wanted to introduce to you and your audience."

"Please do so," Jay said.

"I recently came out to the world and shared my new knowledge of the supernatural," he said to the camera. "The law firm Wolfram & Hart hires vampires, and I've been killing them where they are as vampires are demons who have stolen the human bodies, basically a parasite, feeding off of humans. I hinted recently that there are people who fight them and keep them from destroying the world. There is one woman in particular who was called at age fifteen to fight vampires. She is a vampire slayer, and she has powers to fight them. She is much stronger than she looks, but she's not as strong as I am as she is human. She will explain more, and her name is Buffy Summers."

Buffy stepped out and walked toward Superman, who hugged her and then discreetly left the stage. Jay Leno shook her hand and had her sit in the empty chair next to the UFC champion.

"You have an unbelievable tale," Jay said.

"It's pretty unbelievable, and I lived it," Buffy said with a rueful smile. "But I can assure you that it's true."

"Tell us about the town you lived in, Sunnydale," he said.

Buffy began her tell, telling about the hellmouth and the obituary column in the school paper. She spoke about the mayor and her graduation.

"You had to arm your graduating class? Seriously?" Jay asked, fascinated.

"It was that or let them all be slaughtered," Buffy said.

"Why didn't you ask for help? Tell the government," Jay said.

"Not that they would've believed me, but it wasn't their job—it was mine," she said.

"We have brought in a few other people who were there that day—I think you know them," Jay said, grinning.

Buffy looked puzzled and grinned when she saw Oz and his bandmates. She stood up and hugged Oz. "I didn't know you were going to be here," she said.

"It was a surprise," Oz said.

"So you guys were at the graduation?" Jay asked them.

"Yes," Oz said. "It was quite a battle."

"It was insanity," Devon said. "I still have nightmares."

"I have a few other eyewitnesses that flew in from England," Jay said.

Buffy's eyes widened as she realized who it might be, and then Giles, Willow, and Xander all stepped out on the stage. Three stools appeared on the other side of Jay's chair.

"This is Rupert Giles, the high school librarian and mentor of Miss Summers, and her two best friends, Willow Rosenberg and Alexander Harris," Jay introduced.

"I didn't know you guys were going to be here!" Buffy said.

"Your publicist said more witnesses would help solidify the facts," Giles said.

"So Buffy isn't insane?" Jay asked with a grin.

"No," Giles said. "She is a hero."

Buffy blushed and shook her head. Watching from the sidelines, Clark grinned. She was a natural and the audience was loving her.

Bruce and Faith were watching. Faith was glad no one tried to drag her into the publicity mess as she had enough of the spotlight just being with Bruce.

Bruce stood next to Superman. "She's a natural," he observed.

Superman glanced at the shorter man and nodded. "She is," he agreed. "Having her friends here relaxed her."

"Mr. Leno thought it might," Bruce said. "This is going to turn the world upside even more than your revelation. Do you think the fallout will be worth it?"

"I think people have a right to know the threats that are out there," Superman said.

"Even if it leads to their death?" Bruce asked. "You know amateur monster slayers will be coming out of the woodworks. People will die."

"And some will survive, feeling stronger for having the strength to beat back the darkness," Superman said.

Bruce shook his head. "I think this is a mistake," he said.

"You are entitled to your opinion," Superman said. He glanced at Faith. "What do you think?"

"This is above my paygrade, but Giles and them know what's best," she said. "They always do. Since you blabbed our business on the news, we didn't have much choice anyway, did we?"

Superman nodded. "I guess not," he said. Then he looked at Bruce. "The Justice League will help keep people from getting out of hand."

"And the Green Arrow, Oliver Queen?" Bruce said pointedly.

Clark glanced at Faith, who looked guilty. "Yes, the Green Arrow will help," he said, refusing to comment on Queen.

"It's time," Faith said, realizing the chit chat was over. Oz and the others were leaving the stage.

Superman went to the room next door where they were going to do the demonstration. They didn't want to chance the vampire attacking an audience member.

The fighters, Buffy, and Leno were going with Superman.

"So the plan is that our, hopefully, brave fighters will try to fight the vampire," Jay said to the camera. "Miss Summers wants everyone to see how hard it is to fight a vampire, so no one tries to do it on their own and gets themselves killed."

"If trained fighters have trouble, then the average person would have trouble," Buffy said. "Superman is here in case I'm too far away to help a fighter that gets in trouble."

Jay Leno had a bag and reached into it and passed out wooden stakes. "A slayer's weapon of choice," he said.

The fighters looked either amused or perplexed as they looked at the stick.

"Are you guys going to be brave enough to fight the vampire?" Jay asked his fighters.

"If this tiny girl can do it, we can," the bodybuilder said with a smirk.

"Well, why don't you go first?" Jay suggested. The bodybuilder shrugged and moved to the center of the large room. They were all on the sidelines.

A door opened and the vampire was let in. It was vamped out and snarled, causing the bodybuilder to jump back.

"This isn't a publicity stunt?" the bodybuilder asked, looking scared.

"No, it's not," Jay Leno said. "Give it a try."

The vampire circled the bodybuilder, snarling.

"How about you help?" Jay Leno said to the UFC Champion.

The guy nodded and charged the vampire, kicking his foot out. The vampire caught it and flipped him as the bodybuilder finally found his courage and charged the vampire. He managed to land a blow to the vampire's face, but the vampire just snarled and hit him. The huge fighter when flying.

Jay Leno gestured to the remaining martial artist, and they all surrounded the vampire. Only one of the martial artists, though, managed to get in some hits as the vampire broke one's arm. The crack of bone and the fighter's cry of pain caused everyone to wince.

Buffy said, "I better get in there before they get seriously hurt."

"Okay, guys, back off. Let the slayer handle it," Jay Leno called out. Superman moved to help the fighter with the broken arm while Buffy faced the vampire.

"Time to die," she said with a bright smile.

"I will drain you dry, slayer!" the vampire snarled.

"Well, come, big boy. Give it to me good," Buffy said, beckoning it closer.

She had her stake in her back pocket and traded blows with the vampire. The fighters who had faced the vampire and lost watch in amazement.

"How is she doing that?" one of them asked.

"She's the slayer," Jay Leno said with a grin. This was the best show of his life, and he might just retire after this as no one could beat this. He couldn't wait to send the tape to Letterman.

Buffy took a hit to the face, but it didn't slow her down as she kicked the vampire hard, sending him flying this time. Then she moved quickly, charging it as it got to its feet. She had her stake out now, and she plunged it in the heart before it got its hand up.

She pulled out the stake as the vampire turned to dust. Superman went to get the second vampire for the last bit they had planned.

Jay Leno and the other fighters clapped. "That was amazing!" Jay Leno exclaimed. "If I didn't see it with my own two eyes, I wouldn't have believed it."

"Me either," the bodybuilder said. He moved over to kick at the pile of dust. The camera followed his movement. Then he reached down and touched the dust. "This is the freakiest s*** I've ever seen."

"Family show," Jay Leno reminded him.

The door opened up, and Superman led in another vampire. This one had its hands tied behind its back.

"I do want everyone to understand that a vampire can easily be a female," Buffy said. "We just happened to catch these two last night."

"Do the women get all bumpy like that?" Jay Leno asked.

"Yes," Buffy said. "Vampires only look like that when they are angry or about to feed. Other times, they just look like a regular person."

Jay Leno reached into the bag he had on the floor and pulled out a large cross and a string of garlic. "Which do you want first?" he asked.

"The garlic," Buffy said. "A myth about vampires is that garlic affects them. That's not true." She held it up to the vampire who snarled but didn't react much. When she touched it to the vampire's face, it did nothing. "See."

A door opened up, and Xander walked in carrying a large mirror.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot," Buffy said. "One fool-proof test for vampires is if they have a reflection. As you can see this mirror shows reflections. There's Xander's and now mine." She moved it to the side of the vampire. "The vampire, though, has no reflection."

"That's crazy!" Jay Leno said. He moved closer as Xander moved the mirror around. The cameras followed it all.

"Thanks, Xander," Buffy said. Xander moved the mirror back out of the room. Then she held out her hand for the cross. "However, crosses and Holy Water have this effect on it." She held it up, and the vampire snarled and tried to move back, but Superman was behind him. Then she touched it to its face, and it cried out as its skin burned. Buffy pulled back the cross and the emblem was burned onto its face.

"That's disgusting!" Jay Leno exclaimed.

"Now for the water demonstration," Buffy said. Jay Leno handed her two bottles. One was just a small bottle of water. Buffy splashed some on the vampire. "Water doesn't hurt a vampire. However, water blessed by a priest can kill them. I actually tricked a vampire into drinking a glass of holy water once, and it exploded." She unscrewed the bottle and splashed the vampire, he screamed in pain.

"Fascinating," Jay Leno said.

"Are you ready, Jay?" Buffy asked.

"For what?" Jay asked.

"Well, I think you should stake your first vampire," Buffy said. She looked at the camera. "This is a controlled demonstration with Superman holding the vampire in place. It is not for amateurs or wanna be vampire slayers."

"You think I can do it?" Jay Leno asked nervously.

"If Xander and Willow could do it as a teenager, I know you can," Buffy said. "Aim for the heart."

Jay Leno took the stake and got a step closer to the snarling creature. He wasn't sure he could kill a living thing, but he focused on the burning cross. "If an emblem of faith burns it, it must be truly evil," he said.

"It is," Buffy said. "It would drain you dry without hesitation."

"I would rather kill you, slayer!" it snarled.

"Well, that's not happening," Buffy said. "Do you have your stake?"

Jay nodded and held it up. He glanced at the camera and flashed a smile, hoping he looked more confident than he felt. Then he took a deep breath and stabbed the vampire. However, it didn't turn to dust.

"You missed the heart," Buffy said. "It happens a lot, so pull it out and try again."

Jay Leno felt like an idiot, but he pulled out his stake and moved slightly to the right, stabbing hard. When it started to dissolve, he jumped back, letting go of the stake.

"See you didn't pull out the stake, so it dissolved," Buffy said. "If you don't want to lose your weapon, you have to remember to pull it out."

"Okay, everyone. I think that's a wrap," Jay Leno said. "Thanks, Buffy for showing us how it's done. Thanks for coming, Superman."

"Cut!" the director called out.

"I can't believe that happened!" Jay Leno said, holding out his hand to Buffy.

"You were great!" Buffy said.

"No, you were," Jay Leno said. "People are going to love you. I hope you're ready for the attention."

"I'm not, but I've been told I don't have any choice," Buffy said. She gave Clark a sour look. "Thanks to blabber mouth and his sister."

"Sorry," Superman said.

The other fighters each wanted to shake Buffy's hand and meet Superman.

When Buffy finally said goodbye to her new pal Jay Leno, her friends were waiting.

"That went well," Willow said.

"When do you go to your next interview?" Xander asked.

"Tomorrow, I am flying to Chicago with Bruce and Faith to meet Oprah," Buffy said.

"I can't believe you're going to meet Oprah," Willow said.

"You can come if you want," Buffy said. "We can get in some good pizza while we're there."

"They have wonderful museums in Chicago," Bruce added.

Willow's eyes lit up, but Buffy said spoke first. "And they have an entire mile of stores on Michigan Avenue!"

"I can always use a new pair of kick-ass boots," Faith said, linking arms with Buffy.

Bruce hoped the fallout from this course of actions wouldn't hurt his lover.

When it aired a few hours later, Lex Luthor was watching with his eyes glued to the screen.

"She's so beautiful," he murmured. After the show was over, he picked up his phone.

"Find out everything you can about Buffy Summers," he told his assistant.

He had to know her.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_I hope you enjoyed the update and the idea of Jay Leno staking a vampire! Yes, I know it would be very controversial and the vampire sympathizers would be rampant! Reviews are great. Thanks!_


	18. Price of Fame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This opening scene is more than a little silly, but I feel we can use some silly in this world. I hope it makes you smile.

_*****Two Weeks Later*****_

Buffy couldn't believe how quickly her life had changed since she'd revealed her identity to the world. It was insane. Not only did she now have paparazzi that tried to follow her everywhere, but it seemed leather pants were suddenly in vogue. When she saw someone on the street wearing a pair, she didn't pay much attention. Then Dawn told her all the girls at school now where mimicking her, and it was nauseating. She was getting invites to every talk show on the planet. Her clip with Leno was played on each one. Several times, he appeared with her, enjoying his sudden fame as the only one in his field to slay a vampire. More than one had begged her to take her slaying with them as it wasn't fair, they complained.

Finally, she had relented, taking Conan and the two Jimmy's with her in Harlem. Letterman seemed like a dirty old man, so she didn't invite him.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this!" Jimmy Fallon said, scared but excited. All men were dressed in black, but Conan's white complexion shown like a beacon. They each had a stake in a back pocket and held a sword.

The trio didn't know that she had Clark shadowing them just in case things got dicey. Only one camera phone was recording, and it was held by Kimmel's employee Guillermo Rodriguez, who kept insisting he was just a parking lot security guard. He also was holding the flashlight for them.

"He has to share that video, right?" Fallon said. Buffy had refused to allow an entourage, not wanting to risk anymore lives.

"He will share the video," Buffy said.

"If I get eaten by a vampire, Jimmy, my mother will put a curse on you!" Guillermo said to his boss. "She knows some mean old ladies who practice the old religion."

Fallon grinned. "Buffy won't let you get eaten by a vampire," he assured his very nervous employee.

"No, I won't," Buffy said, grinning at very scared but adorable Mexican man.

"I want hazard pay for this," Guillermo said.

"You'll get it," Fallon said. "We're going to silence Leno's smug mouth! It will so be worth it. You're going to capture it all on film! You'll be famous." His sidekick was a bit mollified by his words and stopped complaining as they strolled through a graveyard at midnight.

Giles had the council's lawyer draw up a form that kept her from any liability if the famous trio got injured from this outing. Clark thought it was a foolish waste of time, and Buffy knew he was right. But he wasn't the one constantly getting the calls from them. Buffy had been flattered when they'd asked her for her phone number the first week. Little did she know it would result in daily begging by them. They didn't stop at calls, but she got sent texts and sad icons on the phone at random hours. It was making her nuts.

"After this, I don't want you to give out my number to any of your friends or groupies," she said. "No more calls asking for this. I'm not a wind-up slayer doll. Do you know how many times I've saved the world?"

"No. How many?" Conan asked, curious. Each time she'd went on an interview, she'd said her bit. However, she'd not given much more new information than what she had shared with Leno the first time.

"I don't actually know," Buffy admitted with a sheepish smile. "I don't keep track, but it's a lot. Here's a few highlights. I was sixteen the first time I died saving the world. Luckily, my best friend Xander resuscitated me. Once when I just seventeen, I killed my lover to stop a ritual that would've ended the world. Three years later, a crazy hell god tried to sacrifice my sister to open a gateway to her dimension by bleeding Dawn. But since it opened up all dimensions, my blood closed it because we were sisters. I jumped into the portal, so Dawn wouldn't have to. That was the second time I died saving the world except that time, I was dead a few months before my friends rose me from the dead."

"What?" Fallon asked, shocked. "How?"

"Willow is a very powerful witch, and my death was supernatural, which created a loophole, allowing her to do so," Buffy said. She kept walking. "Of course, she thought I was in a hell dimension being tormented like Angel had been when I had killed him. The Powers brought him back several months later, so we knew how bad it was. The thought that I might be in one of those hells tormented them."

Buffy didn't realize that she was being filmed, assuming only fighting would be recorded.

"That's horrible," Conan said.

"Did you see a white light?" Kimmel asked. "Do you remember anything?"

"Not much," Buffy said. "But I know I wasn't in hell. I was at peace."

The two Jimmy's looked at each other and Fallon reached for her arm to stop her walk. "What do you mean?" he asked when she looked back at them. "You were in heaven? Heaven is real?"

Buffy shrugged. "I'm not religious. There's too much evil in the world for me to think that the churches have it exactly right," she said. "But I know that when I died, I was in a good place—a better place. A place of warmth." She turned back to keep walking.

The men looked a bit sick and horrified as they realized what she revealing. "Her friends pulled her out of heaven, so she could continue to fight on a hellmouth?" Fallon whispered to Kimmel.

"They must secretly hate her," Kimmel said.

Buffy heard them and stopped. Guillermo wisely put the phone down but kept the record button on.

"My friends had no idea I was in heaven—don't you dare judge them," she said angrily. "Do you know how many times they've saved me so that I could save the world? They were just stupid kids who didn't know any better when I met them. Willow wasn't a witch then. She was just some brilliant fifteen-year-old girl, who was constantly bullied with just two misfit guys for friends. Instead of being bitter, she wanted to save people, to make a difference in the world. Do you know how many times Xander has gotten hurt for me? Once he even stood in front of a serial killer and got his eye gauged out, and yet when the final battle came, he was there, fighting with his one eye. Can you fathom that kind of self-sacrifice? That kind of strength? You don't get to judge my friends—they aren't perfect. Neither am I. I led people into battle there in Sunnydale, and so many died. I can't save everyone. I'm just one person. Do you know what that's like? If I'm too tired to go patrol or if I decide to go down one street instead of another, someone dies. That's on _me_."

Buffy realized she was blurting out way too much of her business to virtual strangers, and she cringed. "I'm sorry. I know this is a lot for you guys, and I didn't mean to unload."

"It's okay," Conan said. "We think what you and your friends do is incredible."

"We are very grateful," Kimmel said.

"I arm wrestled Kimmel for the honor of being president of your fan club, and I won," Fallon said with a smirk, breaking the tension.

Buffy smiled. "I think you'd have to fight Andrew for that one, though," she said. "He's the dweeb in charge of that." She continued forward, only to see two demons coming out of a crypt.

"What the hell is that?" Conan asked. They were close to seven feet with reddish orange skin and small horns. Large teeth were sticking out of their mouths like a sabretooth tiger.

"Those are demons. Very ugly demons," Buffy said, wrinkling her nose.

"We're supposed to be killing vampires—not demons!" Fallon said, his voice going high.

Buffy shrugged. "I said I'd take you on patrol. You get what you get," she said.

"How do you know if the demon is evil?" Kimmel asked. "Didn't you say not all were evil?"

"If they try to kill you, you can assume, it's evil," she said. They walked behind her as she approached the demons. "Hey, guys. Whatcha doing?" She had her scythe in a harness on her back that Xander had made for her for Christmas.

One of them growled and attacked. Guillermo moved away, so he could get everything on film without focusing on just one thing. The trio of comedians were at a loss.

"What do we do?" Fallon asked, scared.

"Stay back!" Buffy ordered as she kicked the demon, knocking it back. However, the other one moved much quicker than most demons and flung her hard into a nearby headstone. Her body hit it, breaking it as she fell into it.

The three comedians fought their instinct to flee, not knowing that Superman was watching, trying to decide if he needed to interfere. However, the calls wouldn't stop unless they knew how dangerous this was. He decided not to help unless someone was about to die, or Buffy was seriously injured.

Conan, the tallest, stood his ground, swinging his sword at the demon. He managed to slice it, causing it to scream in rage, so it kicked Conan, who went airborne. Fallon ran to his side, relieved to see he was still breathing. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yea," he said, staring up at Fallon. "But I hurt all over."

Kimmel was left alone to stand in front of the demon, so he gallantly jumped forward, stabbing the demon in the stomach. Then he quickly jumped back out of striking distance. Buffy was slicing the head off the first one, and she turned in time to see the demon scream again. Concerned that Kimmel was about to get seriously hurt for his heroics, she swung her scythe like a boomerang. The demon's head rolled off its neck.

"Oooh!" Fallon said, gagging at the sight.

The blood splatter did not miss Kimmel, and his trusty cameraman and security guard, gleefully filmed it all, zooming in as it dripped down Kimmel's face.

"Okay, I think we can call it a night," Buffy said. "I got demon goo on my shoes." She looked down and sighed. "Slaying is hell on the shoes."

Guillermo zoomed in her shoes, chuckling. This was going to be golden.

Then he heard a voice he recognized, and his eyes widened. "Are you guys all right?"

The camera focused on Superman, wearing his perpetual black costume coming into view.

Buffy smiled. "Yep. I think so," she said. Superman crouched down to examine Conan. "Does he have anything broken?"

Superman shook his head. "No," he said.

"You can really tell?" Conan asked, looking up at him.

"Yes. I have x-ray vision," he said. "I can see through just about anything." He reached down to help Conan up while Fallon gave Kimmel a tissue to wipe his face with.

"Why do you have tissues?" Kimmel asked.

"I have allergies. I always have a tissue," Fallon said.

"Me, too," Conan said, reaching into his pocket and handing Kimmel another tissue.

"This is the most disgusting experience of my life," he said, wiping at the demon blood and goo on his neck.

Guillermo turned off his phone. "Yes, but you actually stood alone to face the demon and stabbed it. I got your bravery on film," he told his friend and boss.

Kimmel grinned. "That's right!" he exclaimed. Then he looked at Fallon. "You can go suck an egg!"

"At least I got in a slice," Conan said.

"And I got your flight in the air afterward," Guillermo said, grinning.

They all laughed. "You guys did very good," Buffy said, giving them a smile. "You followed rule number one."

"What's that?" Kimmel asked.

"Don't die," she said.

"Seriously? That's your number one rule?" Fallon asked, shaking his head.

"It's kind of important, don't you think?" Buffy countered.

"Well, yea," Fallon agreed. "What's the others?"

She shrugged. "We don't really have any. Just that one. That's the only one that matters. Oh, and don't drink beverages around Giles' books—he gets really cranky," she said.

Superman walked in step with the slayer ahead of them, making sure they made it safely to their cars. Three vampires did make an appearance, but Superman killed them so quickly with his laser beam eyes that Guillermo didn't even get a chance to pull his phone up.

"Damn, he's fast," Fallon said in awe.

"Yes, he takes all the fun out of slaying," Buffy said, looking up at Superman with a pout.

Superman grinned down at her. "I am sorry that I don't enjoy beating up on creatures weaker than me. Killing them is just a necessary evil," he said. "Kind of like putting out rat poison when you have a rat."

"Slayers are so different," she said. "We relish in the fight, the hunt. We are predators by nature, and vampires are our natural enemies—like a cat with a mouse."

"This is so fascinating," Conan whispered to Fallon and Kimmel. He was walking in between them. Guillermo was on Kimmel's right.

"Tell me about it," Fallon agreed. "People will never believe this."

"They will if we tell the exact same story," Kimmel said. "We have to go on the air at the same time."

"We'll each decide how we want to cut up the video," Conan said.

"Of course," Kimmel agreed. He turned to Guillermo. "Send it to them now. When we get to the car, they can check their phone." One town car had picked all three of them up. Each of them had left their phones behind, agreeing that Guillermo alone would have a phone to record.

"That works," Fallon said.

"Did you get her monologue?" Kimmel whispered to his friend.

Guillermo nodded. "Not on film, but I was recording," he said.

Conan was watching Buffy and Superman with speculation and remained quiet until they dropped Buffy off first at her hotel. Then he looked at the guys and said, "Did you see the way Superman and Buffy interacted? I think she likes him!"

Fallon and Kimmel looked surprised while Guillermo nodded. "Yes, he did smile more while speaking to her than I've seen since he started wearing his black mourning outfit," he said.

"Maybe's ready to stop mourning," Kimmel said.

"We probably shouldn't say anything about that on air," Fallon said. "Too much scrutiny can kill budding romances."

"We have plenty of other stuff to talk about," Conan said.

"Let's wait until later," Kimmel said. "I need to clean up. This is horrible."

"You're telling me. I'm going to have to pay to get the car cleaned," Fallon said with a grin.

"Why don't you guys meet at my house at one?" Conan suggested. "It'll give us a chance to rest and view the footage and brainstorm what we want to do."

"This is a huge rating coup, so we can't air it this week," Fallon said. "We have to plug it. Teasers. Get people ready to tune in."

"But we will agree to show it the same day," Kimmel said.

They nodded. "This will be so cool!" Fallon said excitedly. Even though he hadn't done much, he knew it was still going to be a hit.

He was right.

When the clips eventually aired, Buffy's popularity went up even more. The President was already planning on giving her and her friends the Presidential Medal of Freedom for their heroic actions. Buffy was extremely embarrassed, and a bit pissed that her impassioned speech was recorded, but her friends had been torn. On one hand, Willow was mortified that the world knew what she had done to Buffy. She had to create a glamour to disguise her appearance since she had gone on live TV when Buffy appeared with Leno. People seemed to hate her and would accost her in the street if spotted. Religious fanatics were the worst, accusing her of being a servant of the devil. Who would pull someone out of heaven? On the other hand, it was good to know that Buffy really had forgiven her. Xander, though, was getting women from all walks of life chasing after him. He was highly amused by it all.

Unfortunately, it didn't occur to any of them the impact her statements on the afterlife would have. She presented an eyewitness account that this life wasn't all a person had, and it caused the Dow to plunge. Despair and fear gripped many as the battle of good versus evil was framed in such a black and white manner by her words. Places of torment were real—Buffy knew this. Now—thanks to late night television—so did the world. Heaven was real, but did a person have to save the world to get there? The unrest and confusion were causing a worldwide panic just as Bruce had feared.

Then the President gathered several religious leaders that believed in the afterlife, including Islam and Judaism about how her words were not cause for despair but for hope. Each framed her confirmation in light of their own belief systems.

"For the first time since Christians declared Jesus risen from the dead and watched him ascend to heaven, we have hope that what we do on this Earth matters," Reverend Billy Graham said. "Of course, Christians have known this for centuries. The words of a warrior for good doesn't change that. But for those out there who have struggled to believe in a higher power, or think that all you have is this life and you live a life without consequence, you have the words of someone without any religious affiliation assuring you that there _is_ life after death. There is a heaven, and there is most definitely a hell."

Buffy was in Gotham with Faith watching the television, and she wanted to scream. "I can't believe this! They've turned me into some type of Mother Theresa! This is insane!" she said, jumping to her feet and pacing. Since the three weeks the videos first aired, the world had grown insane. Every day, it seemed something crazier was revealed about her. She wanted to go beat something up so badly.

Faith snickered. "I probably shouldn't mention that Andrew told me there's already a slayer church started," he said.

Buffy's mouth fell open, and she grabbed a pillow from the sofa and screamed into it.

Alfred came into the room. "Can I offer you a soothing beverage?" he asked.

"I don't think there's enough liquor in the world that can make this better," she grumbled. "But chocolate might ease my suffering."

Alfred smiled. "Cheer up. There are worse things than being worshipped as a goddess," he said.

Bruce came into the room, chuckling. He dodged the pillow Buffy threw at him.

"Once, Master Bruce was nearly killed as a demon lord," he said.

"That was an exaggeration," Bruce said. "That Amazon tribe felt anyone that anyone who used technology was suspect."

"Then there was the time, all of Gotham wanted his head on a platter," Alfred said.

"Okay, so there is something to be said for being adored over hated," Bruce acknowledged. "Are you ladies going to get ready for the gala or what?" Alfred left to get Buffy her chocolate.

"Do we have to?" Buffy asked.

"Well, I have to as it's a fundraiser for the Wayne Foundation, which supports numerous philanthropic endeavors in city and across the world," Bruce said. "Faith doesn't have to go, but the newspapers will start publishing I'm on the prowl. Or that there's trouble in paradise."

Faith groaned. "We wouldn't want that," she complained. The gossip rags and been obsessed about her ever since she'd been seen on Wayne's arm twice in a row. Thanks to Willow, the public could find very little about her, which drove them nuts. That she'd been photographed with Buffy at a club had been front page news. It was before Buffy's announcement, but some clever reporter put it together after she came out. Speculation was rampant.

"If you hadn't broke that guy's nose for grabbing your ass when we were out at that club, people wouldn't be convinced you are one of my soldiers," Buffy said with a snicker.

"I had already told him twice to stop," Faith said. "Third time is pain. That's my rule."

"It's a good rule," Buffy said.

"Except now, I get sued," Bruce said with a rueful smile.

"What?" Faith asked in confusion.

"That's how this works now, but don't worry about it," Bruce said. "My lawyers can handle a hundred assholes that try to manhandle you."

"Are they paying them off?" Faith asked in outrage. "Because I know that's how rich dudes do things. They don't want the hassle, so they pay people off. You better not be paying lowlifes off who try to grab my ass, or I'm going to kick your ass all over this house!"

Alfred returned with some pudding cups. Buffy's eyes lit up. "Gimme!" she exclaimed.

"I am not paying off lowlife's who grab your ass," Bruce assured her, amused.

Faith looked skeptical and looked at Buffy, who was happily eating her pudding. Buffy shrugged. "Hey, I have never had a billionaire boyfriend, so I'm not sure how that works," she said.

"You better not be," she said sourly.

"I have highly paid attorneys," he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her neck. "They don't settle." He kissed her. "Besides, too many people caught his hands on your rear, so he couldn't really argue the sexual harassment. You promised not to press charges if he dropped the suit."

Faith grinned. "I did?" she asked.

"You did," he said.

"Well, if we're going to this gala, we need to get dresses," Buffy said. She didn't look excited about it.

"What's wrong? You love shopping for clothes," Faith said.

"That was before I became the most famous Buffy in the world," Buffy said with a gloomy sigh.

"Don't worry," Bruce said. "I have three of the top boutiques bringing clothes here after lunch for you both to choose from."

"No shit?" Faith asked with a grin.

"It's how the obscenely wealthy do things when they don't want to go out shopping," he said with a wink.

"That's way cool," Buffy said.

That evening they both were looking hotter than normal. Faith was wearing a dark blue dress with a long skirt and plunging v-neckline. It had a slit that started up the thigh, so it flashed a lot of skin when she moved. She had her hair up, and Bruce had insisted she wear these dangling sapphire earrings with tiny diamonds around them with a matching necklace while Buffy was wearing a much shorter dress in hot pink. It tied around the neck and was backless, so she didn't wear a bra. Luckily, it had built-in padding, so she didn't look too slutty. Her cross necklace was the only jewelry she chose to wear even though Bruce offered her pick a of diamonds. She opted to wear her hair down with some curl in it. It was past her shoulders—time to get a cut.

The gala was being held in the ballroom of one of Bruce's hotels. When they arrived together, the party was in full swing. However, the entire room seemed to pause a long moment as they entered.

"Great. More eyes staring at me," Buffy muttered.

"Suck it up," Faith said. "Here comes your horde of admirers now."

Bruce introduced her to the police commissioner, who asked her to dance. He was nice and didn't ask her questions, so she was happy to. Then the he introduced her to the mayor, who bored her with his name dropping, but he at least knew how to dance. Then he introduced her to his deputy mayor, who wanted a dance. Finally, she was rescued by a familiar face.

"Clark!" she said. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

"Well, I'm a freelancer these days—I send my boss whatever story I want to report," he said.

"You don't work at the Daily Planet?" she said.

"Oh, I do, but I don't have to punch a clock," Clark explained. "I get paid for each story."

"That's convenient," she said. She looked at him in his suit. "You look very dapper." It was an understatement. Clark in a tux was a sight to behold, and then he smiled. For a moment, her heart stopped.

"Thanks," he said. "You look very beautiful yourself. Did you want to dance?"

"Sure," she said. Unlike the other dances, she felt nervous as Clark took her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.

He smiled down at her as they moved to the music. "You're so tiny," he said.

She glared up at him. "I am not! You're just too tall!" she insisted.

He laughed, enjoying himself. It was almost a year now since Lois had died, and he still found very few reasons to smile. However, Buffy seemed to bring out a lighter side, and he appreciated it.

"It seems that I see your face everywhere these days," he said.

"Tell your new sister, she really owes me like one or one hundred," Buffy said.

"She's more than a little jealous, I think," he told her.

"Well, I'd trade places in a minute," Buffy said. "The scrutiny is nuts. I can hardly patrol anymore. I got these super ninja wanna be photographers following me everywhere. It's so annoying." They started wearing black, making it harder for her to stop them. It was both hilarious and frustrating.

"I bet," he said.

Faith was keeping an eye on her girl and everyone else when she noticed a well-dressed man from the sidelines watching Buffy very intently. Frowning, she asked Bruce, "Who's the bald guy staring at B so hard?"

"That's Lex Luthor, head of Luthorcorp," Bruce said.

"What kind of guy is he? He seems to be jonesing for B," Faith said.

"He's kind of like me, I suppose—a billionaire who lost his parents and inherited his dad's company," he said. "His mom died when he was young, and he lost his hair during that meteor shower in Smallville."

"Is he an ass? Most rich guys are," she said with a smirk.

Bruce grinned. "He's okay. He's been the bad boy, and then disappeared for a while after his dad died. He's been doing well lately—no tabloid storylines," Bruce said. "The Luthor's were known for dabbling in things best left alone. Lionel, the father, had more than one accusation of human experimentation. It wouldn't be good for Lex to ever know about you and your friends."

"Well, he knows about Buffy, and he seems very interested," Faith said, not happy. "If he's like his dad, he might have bad ideas. Buffy already dealt with one mad scientist."

"Lex is brilliant, but I doubt he'd risk his company messing with someone so high profile," Bruce said. He moved them closer to Clark and Buffy. Then the music stopped, and Lex stepped up to Bruce, not Buffy.

"Hello, Bruce," Lex said.

"Lex," Bruce said, tilting his head slightly. "Thank you for coming. Have you met Faith?"

Lex smiled. "No, I haven't had the pleasure," he said, holding out his hand.

"Hi," Faith said, looking him over as she shook his hand. His grip was firm and not limp like a wet noodle. Too many white guys had the lamest handshakes. He was kind of cute if you could get past the bald look. She only liked the bald look on a black man, so there was no appeal for her.

Buffy and Clark stepped up to them as there was a pause in the music. "Hey, guys," Buffy said. "Look who's doing a story on the event."

"Good to see you, Clark," Faith said, grinning at the big guy. "Bruce, you've met Clark before, right? He's a reporter for the Daily Planet. It was his fiancée that died in Sunnydale."

Bruce gave him a sharp look, his razor-sharp mind making calculations as he looked up at Clark, mentally removing the black eyeglasses.

"Nice to see you again, sir," Clark said, shaking his hand. He gave Lex a wary glance. "Lex. How are you?"

Lex smiled warmly at Clark. "I'm very well, Clark. It's great to see you again—it's been too long," Lex said. "I was so sorry to hear about Lois. She was never one to sit on the sidelines."

"Thanks, Lex," Clark said. "I kind of expected to see you at the funeral." General Lane was high profile, and Lois lived in Lex's hometown. Clark, though, didn't really know what the cloned version of Lex would do or how this Lex would react.

Buffy, Faith and Bruce were very surprised to see the two so familiar with one another and listened in silence.

Lex winced. "I meant to—honestly. Then I came across a new journal and read about yet another diabolical thing that happened in Smallville, and I just couldn't face you," he admitted. "So I just sent flowers."

"I'm Buffy," Buffy said, holding out her hand, trying to break up the sudden tension.

"Sorry," Clark said. "This is Lex Luthor."

"I didn't realize you two knew each other," Bruce said, looking back and forth between the two.

"We met when I was in high school," Clark said. "His dad used to own a business that employed half of Smallville."

"Clark saved my life when he was sixteen, and he did it over and over again over the years," Lex said with a smile. He looked at Buffy. "It seems you and Clark have a lot in common. Thank you for what you do and what you have done." He held out his hand to Buffy.

Buffy was caught off guard and took his hand. No man had ever quite looked at her the way Lex Luthor did, and she felt herself grow a little warm under his intense gaze.

Lex hadn't realized Clark would be at the gala, and his presence rattled Lex even though he worked to cover it with an easy smile. Although he had no emotional attachment to Clark since he was just the clone of Lex Luthor and Clark knew that, the original Lex Luthor's extensive journaling had written about every encounter with Clark. His obsession with Clark had led to his destruction, and this Lex wasn't about to make that same mistake. Clark would never betray Lex's secret because Lex knew Clark's.

Clark was Superman, and now Lex knew that Buffy the Vampire Slayer knew that. He looked closely at Bruce Wayne, who tried hard to pretend indifference, but Lex knew the man wore a mask. He was brilliant—not brilliant the way Lex was. However, Bruce was not a shallow playboy living off his parent's legacy. Bruce had worked hard to build his parents company and expand the science division. Lionel had respected him, and Lex's father rarely respected anyone. If Bruce didn't know Clark was Superman, Lex bet he'd figure it out soon enough.

Clark brought out confusing feelings in Lex, and he no longer felt like wooing Buffy tonight. However, he had finally made contact with her. For now, that was enough.

"It's nice to meet you," Buffy said.

"It's my pleasure," Lex said, holding her hand a bit longer than normal. Then he realized it and let go. "Enjoy your evening."

After he walked away, Buffy looked at Clark and said, "He seemed a bit intense."

"Yeah," Clark agreed.

"You guys seemed to have a lot of baggage," Faith observed.

"At one time, he was my best friend," Clark said.

"Really?" Bruce asked, surprised.

"His father, though, destroyed all the good in him," Clark said, looking sad at the reminder.

"He seemed nice," Buffy said.

Clark hesitated before answering. Although he knew that Bruce was Batman, Bruce didn't know he was Superman, and he wasn't exactly sure what all Faith knew. It was best to be discreet. They were in public, also. "I think he's grown up and trying to be a better man," he said.

"That's good," Buffy said.

"What did he mean about reading his journals?" Bruce asked.

"There was an accident," Clark explained. "He was presumed dead, and he lost his memories. He doesn't actually remember being friends with me, but he kept extensive journals. He's read about pretty much everything that happened between us over the years. There was a lot of good things in the beginning, and then things went pretty sour. He married the first woman I ever loved—it didn't end well between them. He blamed me for that even though I stayed away from Lana after she married him."

Faith grinned. "Wow, Farm Boy—I had no idea you had lived such a juicy life," she said.

"Me either," Buffy said in surprise. "Lex didn't seem mad now, though."

"No. That's pretty much ancient history—several years ago. I'd been with Lois for a few years before we got engaged," Clark said.

"So, Lex is okay?" Buffy asked.

Clark shrugged. "As far as I can see, he's not been repeating past mistakes," Clark said.

"You just like having another fan to add to your collection," Faith said, teasing Buffy.

"Not so!" Buffy said.

A fast song began to play, and Faith's eyes lit up. "Oh, I love this song! Come on, B!" she said, grabbing Buffy's hand and dragging her to the dance floor, forgetting where they were.

Others didn't, however, and phones everywhere began snapping photos of the two grinning and dancing together.

Bruce sighed, watching the duo with a fond smile. "I think Faith forgot we aren't at a dance club," he remarked to Clark.

Clark laughed. "I don't think she really cares," he said, pitching his voice for Bruce alone. "I've spent a lot of time with so many different slayers the past eleven months. One thing that I've learned that they all have in common—slayers live each day like it could be their last."

Bruce didn't like thinking of why that was, and the two watched them dance in silence a long moment. Then Bruce nudged Clark. "Don't you think you should get your own photo for your story?" he suggested.

Clark pulled out his phone. "I suppose," he said, snapping a picture. Buffy looked so free when she was dancing—they both did. "They are very special girls." He sent a copy of the picture to Buffy, knowing she'd like it.

Bruce nodded. "They are," he agreed. "I better go join them before rumors of Faith's lesbian relationship with Buffy breaks up the new slayer church recently started in Buffy's honor, and Faith gets angry stalkers."

Clark laughed at Bruce's dry wit. He watched them for a moment and wanted to join them. However, seeing Lex brought back too many memories that he couldn't shake.

His life in Smallville with Lana and Lex was a lifetime ago.

" _Trust me, Clark. Our friendship is gonna be the stuff of legend,"_ Lex said to him in his loft so long ago. How wrong his predication had been.

At one time, Lex had been his rock, offering so many words of advice and encouragement for Clark when he was young. _There's nothing wrong with a good fight. Just remember, the Man of Tomorrow is forged by his battles today."_

Eventually, though, things eroded between them. It didn't happen all at once, however. _"Friendship's a fairy tale, Clark. Respect and fear is all you can hope for,"_ Lex said once after Jonathan hadn't been very hospitable to Lex. Clark had kept extending his friendship, never wanting to give up on Lex, but his father's suspicion of Lex because of Lionel had never allowed him to trust Lex with his secret.

Eventually, things had gotten so bad. " _If you look at history, Clark, the great men and women of the world have always been defined by their enemies."_

It was like Lex had decided that since they could no longer be friends, they would be enemies. The greater they had been as friends, the greater they would be as enemies. Whenever Lex did something bad, everyone who knew Clark's secret felt like it just reinforced how right Clark had been to keep Lex at a distance.

However, Clark couldn't help but think it was his mistrust that had destroyed the remaining good in Lex. What if he had trusted Lex? How different would things have been?

The thought depressed Clark so much that he left the party.

***** _Chapter End****_

_Quotes in italics taken directly from random episodes of Smallville._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The question Clark asks himself at the end here is something I often wondered as I watched Smallville. Of course, the comics dictated they had to be enemies, but it made me sad as I liked the good that Clark inspired in Lex.


	19. Vampire Attacks

_*****The Next Day*****_

Buffy planned on returning to New York the next day after the gala. She joined Faith and Bruce for breakfast as she was staying at the Wayne Manor with them while she was in town. Faith still had her own place, but she stayed at Bruce's more often than not.

Faith greeted her with a wide grin. "Good morning, sleepy head," she said.

"Morning," Buffy mumbled, reaching for the coffee. Alfred always made an incredible spread at breakfast. Pretty much anything she could think to want to eat was on the table. She examined the offerings with a happy little sigh. When he came to the table carrying a flower bouquet, she said, "Alfred, will you marry me?"

"Hey, no stealing our butler!" Faith said.

"Why should he be content as a butler when I'm prepared to make him my husband?" Buffy said with a smirk.

Faith opened her mouth to protest, but she couldn't think of a reply. She glanced at Bruce for help, and he just shrugged. "She's your friend," he said.

"While I do thank you for the flattery, I am afraid I would have to decline," Alfred said, smiling at Buffy. "But these flowers are for you."

"Really? You shouldn't have, Al," she said.

"I didn't," he said. "There's a card."

Buffy couldn't recall the last time she'd gotten flowers, and she admired the wide variety of flowers as she grabbed the card.

"What's it say?" Faith asked.

"It's from Lex Luthor," Buffy said. "He wants to take me to dinner. His number is on the card."

"That's great. You should call him," Faith said with a grin.

"You live in New York. What's the point?" Bruce pointed out.

Faith smacked his arm. "The point is that she needs to get out there. It's been a long time since she's got her jollies off, right, B?" she asked.

"Thanks for the reminder," Buffy said, giving her a sour look. "He seemed like a good enough guy. You said he was okay, right?" She looked at Bruce.

Bruce shrugged. "He's okay," he said.

"Clark said he was okay—at least these days, and I'm not one to hold a person's past against them," Buffy said.

"So you'll call him?" Faith asked.

"Sure," she said. "After I have breakfast." She ate her fill, and then took the flowers to her room to get dressed.

Faith came into the room and asked, "What he say?"

"I don't know. I haven't called him yet," Buffy said.

"Why the hell not?" Faith asked.

"I don't know," Buffy said with a shrug.

Faith narrowed her eyes suspicious. "Sure, you do, but for some reason, you're not telling," she said. "Is there someone else?" When Buffy didn't immediately deny, she realized that was it. "There is! Who?"

"There's not. Not really," Buffy said. "I'll call Lex. You're right. It's beyond time for me to get some type of social life." She reached for her phone, but Faith stopped her.

"What are you not telling me? Who is it?" Faith asked. "The only guy you've even really spent time with is Clark—Clark! It's him, isn't it?"

Buffy looked glum. "I know. It's stupid. Talk about not available," she said.

"Well, he can't mourn forever," Faith said.

"Yea," Buffy said. "But I am going to call Lex because I can't be that girl."

"Damn right," Faith said with a wink.

Buffy called Lex, thanking him for the flowers and agreed to have dinner with him.

Just like that, she was dating her own billionaire. Lex was charming and the paparazzi was in a frenzy to see them together. Buffy was impressed with his deft handling of the press, smiling but pushing them away politely.

"You are so much better at that than I am," Buffy said. "I really want to hit people."

Lex grinned at her. "Well, you might really hurt someone, so it's probably a good thing if you keep exercising self-control," he said.

"Yea, I know," she said with a rueful smile. "But they follow me everywhere. They even started wearing black and trying to follow me on patrol. I had to save one of the idiots from a vampire the other day."

"Yes, I read about that," Lex said. "Of course, I first saw the man's gushing interview about how wonderful you were."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "They are impossible!" she exclaimed.

She enjoyed her dinner with Lex, finding him charming with a sardonic sense of humor that she enjoyed. When it was over, he walked her to her car as she had met him at the restaurant. Naturally, there was still plenty of onlookers, so he simply squeezed her hand and asked, "Can I call you sometime?"

"Sure," Buffy said. "Thanks for dinner. It was nice."

Lex had been pleasantly surprised to find that Buffy didn't seem to take herself too seriously even though she was clearly frustrated with all the attention. He definitely wanted to see her again.

Neither noticed that there were more than just reporters watching them.

Amy Madison burned with rage as she watched an actual billionaire fawn over Buffy Summers. Sure, most of her hatred was reserved for Willow, but ultimately, Buffy was the one to blame. If it wasn't for her, Willow would have never dared crossed so many lines. Amy wouldn't have gotten so bad herself and been violated by Rack. She wasn't her mother—she wasn't. Ethan Rayne had taught her how to channel her magic to honor Chaos.

She pulled out her phone and called her new mentor. "It's time," she said. "The world is worshiping Buffy Summers, and they know that monsters are real. Let's see how they handle real death and chaos unleashed."

"It will be glorious chaos," Ethan agreed.

***** _The Watch Tower*****_

Chloe was at the computer monitoring things. With their new relationship with the slayers, they now could monitor communication worldwide. It had been decided that since Clark was not working with the Justice League that his sister Cora would take his place. Although she got visions that Chloe didn't quite understand, she still was willing to answer calls that would take her across the globe to assist natural disasters. With the revelations that Buffy had revealed about not just how to kill vampires and demons but that heaven and hell was real, things were unsettled everywhere. Crime had at first skyrocketed. After the President had done his religious forum, it had helped. Other countries had followed suit, and there seemed to be a settling down. Chloe, though, was feeling antsy. Something was going to shift soon—she just knew it.

"Anything to report?" Oliver asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Not yet," she said.

Cora landed on the balcony and came in. "Hey," she said.

"How's things in L.A.?" Oliver asked.

"Good. I got there in time to help," she said.

"So how's this working?" Chloe wondered. "Are these Powers giving you visions to help Angel even though you're not with him?"

Cora shrugged. "I think due to my ability to move superfast, they will at times," she said. "Angel, though, is going to see if he can get another conduit. Lorne is already an empath demon. It wouldn't be much more for him to get visions to help."

"But the visions aren't going to leave you?" he wondered.

"No. If they were going to be gone, they would've when I transformed to Kryptonian," Cora said.

"We have a report of an attack in Gotham," Chloe said when a ping went off on her computer.

"Buffy and Faith will handle that," Oliver said. "Buffy's still there, right?"

"Yes," Chloe confirmed.

"Damn it! Another in Miami," she said, clearly agitated. "I'm dispatching A.C."

Pings started going off on her computer. "There happening all over! Metropolis. New York City. Cleveland, Los Angeles, Dallas, Las Vegas, New Orleans—I knew things were too quiet!" she fumed.

"There's one here!" Oliver said. This had never happened before, and he wasn't sure they were equipped to handle this.

"I'm sending out reports to Giles and all the Watchers," Chloe said worriedly. She was relieved that they had more allies now. "You guys go."

"I'll help you with this one and then head to Metropolis," Cora said. "Be careful." Oliver nodded and took off.

When she got to the location Chole gave her, she mentally groaned. It was one of those day vamps that were infused with Kryptonite. "Damn it!" she said. She hit her comm and told Chloe and Oliver the bad news.

"I'll pass on the info to Clark. Keep your distance," Chloe said. She hoped her team could handle this, but the sinking feeling in her stomach grew as she listened on the comms and dispatched her teams.

Oliver arrived on scene and saw a huge monster that was downtown. It was nearly seven feet tall, and people were fleeing. Cora was trying to hit it with her heat vision, but it kept throwing bodies at Cora.

"This is a vampire?" Oliver asked.

"It's a Turok-Han," Cora said. "They're like purer vamps. The kind that Buffy and them fought when they closed the hellmouth, but this one is a daywalker. The Kryptonite it's infused with must be what allows it to be in the daylight. We took down one of these—Willow and Buffy and I. It was a bitch to put down."

"I will try to tie its arms, so you can get it with the heat vision," Oliver said after a few of his arrows didn't seem to hurt it much. He moved closer after the vampire managed to kill two men in suits. It made him sick that they were so close, and yet they couldn't prevent this monster from killing bystanders.

He shot his arrow that he connected to a long rope around the torso of the creature, which did succeed in pinning its arms. "Now!" he shouted.

Cora didn't hesitate. Since she was afraid that her heat would burn the rope, she went for the neck, trying to severe its head. It kept moving, but she moved forward. Waves of nausea hit her, but she pressed on, determined to put this thing down.

Finally, she cut through the neck, and it turned to dust. A few cheers went up, but people were mostly horrified as they gazed at the pile of green rocks left in the dust pile.

"What was that?" someone asked her.

"A vampire," she said.

"I thought they couldn't come out at night," another said.

"It's been genetically altered," she said grimly. "Someone has created this and set it loose on the city."

"Will there be more?"

"I hope not," Cora said. She looked at Oliver and knew he was having the same thought.

Who would do this?

***** _Gotham*****_

Batman helped Faith and Buffy put down the daywalker that was loose in their city, and then there was a report of another. Before they could respond a third report hit them.

"Three? There's three here? Where the hell are they coming from?" Faith asked.

"These things were created," Bruce said. "They're not natural, so it would make sense that they were placed here."

"Who would do this?" Faith asked.

"We can worry about that after we put them down," Buffy said.

They each agreed to take one, but Faith didn't think Bruce could take one down on his own. "You'll get yourself killed!" she yelled.

"People are dying, so I suggest you go take care of the one you need to. Then come join me," Bruce said. "I can at least help people."

Faith reluctantly agreed, and the three separated. Because Faith did not want to be outed as a slayer, she had reluctantly agreed to wearing a disguise when she fought. She wore a form fitting black suit that Bruce had designed to be stronger than normal leather, which meant it held up well to demon claws or blades. Since Buffy was blonde, Faith thought it was a kick to wear a blonde wig instead of sporting her normal dark locks. No way anyone would think it was her, especially after her mask. She didn't go with the eye mask, but she had a mask for her lower face that concealed her distinctive dimple, which Bruce insisted was a dead give away for her identity since they'd been photographed together too many times. It was a pain in the ass putting on the outfit, but she had the wig loose and in ponytail versions. This was her second week wearing her disguise, so she felt fairly comfortable with it. She refused to wear anything bat-like, and the first reporter that called her Batgirl, she punched in the face. The papers had taken to calling her the Blonde Bombshell instead, which she found hilarious. Buffy, of course, thought it was sexist. Faith was just glad no one knew her identity because she didn't want the attention that her sister slayer was currently dealing with.

The police were dispatched trying to protect people from the vampire as well as trying to put down the creature. Of course, nothing they tried was working as bullets didn't hurt the vampire at all. Batman knew from his first encounter with the daywalker that he couldn't possibly handle a one-one one fight, so he pulled out the long sword Faith had insisted that he start carrying on patrol with her.

He had to put this one down quickly, so he could help Faith. When the police saw him, one asked what he wanted them to do.

"Try to keep the people away," he said. He moved quickly, shooting ropes around the legs of the vampire, and while the vampire worked to get loose, he swung his sword, cutting off its arm. Then he swung hard, decapitating it. Relieved, he watched it turn to dust. The kryptonite that was imbedded inside it, however, didn't dissolve. "Mine's dead. I'm coming to you," he said into his comm.

When he made it to Faith's side, she was predictably fighting the thing, exchanging blows. It made him a bit nuts the risks she took. Her drive to punish monsters and do violence pushed her to take unnecessary risks, which he detested. One day, it would get her seriously injured. By this time, there were media there filming, but the police had created a perimeter.

When the vampire kicked Faith hard and she flew into a group of people, he used the method that had worked so far, shooting his ropes to temporarily immobilize the vampire before quickly swinging his sword at the vampire's neck.

He moved to help up Faith, checking her over for injuries. "If you'd go for the kill and not the hurt, the thing would be over much faster," he admonished.

"Yea, well, what's the fun in that?" she said with a typical smirk. She hit her comm. "B, we're coming."

There wasn't an answer, which worried them, so they moved fast to get to her location. She hopped on her bike while he jumped in his batmobile.

When they made it to the location, there was an ambulance and a large crowd. This location was around a church that had an iron fence with those pointed iron stakes. Faith gasped in horror when she saw that Buffy was impaled on one, and she pushed people out of her way to get to Buffy's side.

"Oh God, B! Is she alive?" she asked the paramedic.

"She is," the paramedic said. They had pulled her legs up to keep her body as stable as possible. Someone was keeping her head supported, so that no more pressure was pushing down at the top, but the iron stake seemed to be protruding out of her gut.

"Where's the vampire?" Batman asked, scanning the area.

"She threw her sword just as it sent her airborne," a spectator said. "It actually beheaded the thing. It was incredible!"

Buffy opened her eyes and looked at Faith. "Ow!" she said.

The fire chief looked down at his nation's greatest hero with more than a little trepidation. "Miss Summer, we have to cut the iron under you so that we can get you off this," he said.

"Just cut the top," Faith said. "Then, it will be easier to get her off the thing."

"She's right," Batman agreed.

The paramedic started an IV drip. "We're going to give you some morphine," he said.

"That will be nice," Buffy said. "This isn't the first time I've had something sharp through my gut, though, so I'll be okay."

Her comments were, of course, picked up by nearby reporters. The media swarm around her was massive as the vampires attacking in daytime had hit the media in Gotham quickly. Cameras were filming the fire departments every move as they cut the bar above Buffy's stomach. Then they took the one underneath her, and Faith help her to her feet even as the paramedic tried to get her onto the stretcher.

"Just pull the thing out," Buffy told Faith.

"Do not do that!" the paramedic screeched. "She could bleed to death!"

"I won't bleed to death, but the damn thing hurts," Buffy said, glaring. "Pull it out or I will!"

"Are you sure?" Faith asked.

"It's missed my spine, or I couldn't be standing. If it hit my lung, I'd be coughing blood, but I'm not. I'll be okay," she said. She looked at the paramedic. "Get ready to plug the holes."

Faith reached out and yanked out the bar, causing the audience to gasp in various degrees of dismay or horror. When Buffy did nothing more than wince, however, her legend built.

The paramedic moved quickly to lift her shirt and place a bandage on both sides. "You need to get on the stretcher and get checked out," he said.

"I hate hospitals," Buffy said. "I'll be fine."

"Please, Miss Summers," the fire chief said. "You have too many eyes on you. The mayor will want to make sure you are okay."

"Fine," Buffy conceded. "But I better get some chocolate pudding."

Faith watched her get loaded up as reporters shouted questions and snapped photos. Buffy smiled and waved. "Look at her," she said to Batman. Buffy was the epitome of wounded heroine. It made Faith smile even as she felt relief as her close call. If they lost Buffy, what would they do?

"She's going to be okay," he said.

"I know," Faith said. "She may hate the attention, but she's still the right person to lead this circus we're in now."

Bruce agreed. "Let's get changed, so we can go be with her," he said.

Faith thought that was a great idea, and they slipped away without much notice as all eyes were on the retreating ambulance.

All over the country both the slayers and the budding Justice League were hard pressed putting down these attacks from the Turok-Han. Angel and his team had three in Los Angeles and one in San Francisco that Kara flew to battle. Unfortunately, the Justice League wasn't as prepared to fight the creatures, and Dinah was killed. She wasn't the only casualty. Kennedy went the rescue of a trio of slayers, and she got her neck snapped.

In just a few short hours, chaos reigned across the country as word spread that vampires could now come in the daylight. When Superman was filmed trying to fight one and being brought to his knees by the Kryptonite in the creatures, panic built, and Ethan and Amy watched it all in glee.

Chaos was pleased at their offering.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_Kudos are very nice but a review is even better! Thanks for reading!_


	20. Buffy's Love Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot I had written a new chapter for this story...lol

_*****The Next Day*****_

Buffy could not believe that the mayor had convinced her to stay overnight in the hospital, citing public perception and how she was a national treasure and basically a war hero. If something were to happen, he would never recover politically, and the city would be blamed. He was very good at the guilt, so she reluctantly agreed. Now that the sun was up, she was determined to escape. She was just getting dressed after her shower when a nurse brought in a large bouquet of flowers. As her room already looked like a damn florist shop, she wasn’t too excited.

“Another one?” she groaned.

“This one is the largest yet,” the nurse said with a grin.

“There’s no way I can take all these with me,” Buffy said.

“Why don’t you take one or two, and I’ll disperse the rest to the patients that don’t get many visitors,” she suggested. 

“Oh, that’s a great idea,” Buffy said. The nurse took two small bouquets with her as she left.

Buffy looked at the new arrival. It was lovely. It had a few roses, but it also had some lilies, orchids, and a few friendly daisies in the arrangement. Curious, she grabbed the card. _You are my hero. Fondly, Lex._

Buffy grinned. Should she pick up her phone and call him? It was very early. He was a businessman, so she decided to send a text in case he was still a sleep or in the shower or in a business breakfast or something.

_I got your flowers. They’re beautiful. Thanks so much. I’m very well. Media exaggerates!_

She put on her shoes and sent off a text to Bruce and Faith together. _Who is coming to pick me up? I am so ready to leave!_

Predictably, Bruce replied that he would send a car. It would be there in an hour. Buffy sighed but supposed she could wait. The sneaky bastard was probably wanting to make sure the doctor gave permission for her to leave. However, she wasn’t waiting until the doctor decided to stroll in.

Her phone beeped again. _I am glad you liked the flowers. If you feel like dinner tonight, I’d love to see you._

Buffy smiled, enjoying the warm feeling his words invoked. _I don’t really want to be in the circus that Gotham has become. How about I come to you in Metropolis? Send me an address. I’ll be there by 7._

_Why don’t I send my plane? Be at the airport at four._

A thrill went through Buffy at the thought, and she quickly typed her reply. _Works for me. I have to be in NY tomorrow._

_Then I have you for the night…._

Buffy grinned but didn’t reply. A knock at her door made her look up. “Clark!” she exclaimed, hopping off the bed to greet him with a hug.

“I’m so sorry that I couldn’t get here to see you sooner,” Clark said. He was holding a small teddy bear.

“That’s okay,” Buffy said, flashing him a warm smile. “I’m glad you could get here now. I’m leaving here in a bit.”

“How are you? I saw the news footage,” he said. “That looked pretty painful.”

“Yes, iron bars to the stomach aren’t my preferred pastime,” she said, laughing. “Have a seat.”

When she sat back down on the bed, he sat in the chair by the bed. “I’m glad I decided to not go with the flowers,” he said, looking at the massive number of flowers she had in the room. He handed her the little bear with a heart on it. “I saw this in the gift shop.”

“Oh, I love it!” Buffy gushed. “I had this stuff pig named Mr. Gordo, but he died in the earthquake as my sister forgot to grab him when she packed.” Buffy was still a bit upset at Dawn for that. 

“Well, then I’m glad I made the right choice,” Clark said, relieved. He wasn’t sure which way to go as she wasn’t his girlfriend, but they had become very good friends. However, he didn’t know her the way he knew Chloe, nor did he think of her exactly the way he thought of Chloe. Afterall, he wasn’t blind to Buffy’s obvious appeal.

“Most definitely,” she said, looking at the bear. “I think I’ll call this bear Tom. He looks like a Tom.”

Clark laughed. “I’ll concede to your experience in naming stuffed animals,” he said. “Tom the Bear sounds perfect.” Buffy gave him a beaming smile and sat him on the nightstand.

“I saw the news last night and saw Superman managed to kill his monster dayvamp,” she said with a wink.

Clark got up and shut the door to her room. “Yes, it was disturbing to see a vampire infused with the meteor rock,” he said.

“I thought we were calling it Kryptonite since it comes from Superman’s home planet?” she said pointedly.

“Habit,” Clark said, smiling.

“Did you kill yours like Cordy does with your fire vision?” she asked.

“Well, I first used my freeze breathe to immobilize it,” he shared.

“Oh, that’s a good idea! I haven’t seen Cordy use hers yet,” she said.

“Is it okay to call it that or did you come up with a new name for that too?” he asked, giving her a look of amusement.

“I think freeze breathe is perfect for that one,” she said regally.

“Good. Then I used the—” he paused and smiled and said, “fire eyes to sever its head.”

“Ha!” Buffy said with a laugh. “You will be using all my crazy words before long!”

There was a knock at the door, and it was pushed open. It was her doctor. Clark stood. “Do I need to leave?” he asked.

“No, I was just going to check our special lady here, and give her permission to leave,” the doctor said. “I heard she would probably not stick around and wait for me.”

Buffy looked a bit sheepish but shook her head. “No, I have a car on its way,” she said. “Then I’ve got plans to go to Metropolis today.”

“Well, hold up your shirt, so I can check your wound,” the doctor said.

“Oh, I took off the bandage when I took a shower,” Buffy said as she lifted her shirt to show her stomach. “The wound is healed.”

The doctor looked at her unblemished stomach in amazement. “That’s incredible,” he said. He moved to see her back and couldn’t even tell where the exit wound had been. “If I hadn’t been here yesterday when you came in, I might not believe you were injured. Of course, I also saw the news footage.”

Buffy groaned. “It’s so insane the way they make out like I’m some kind of super freak—I’m not Superman or Superwoman,” she said, giving Clark a smug look.

“That’s why they love you even more, you know,” the doctor said as he tested her blood pressure.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Well, Superman is wonderful—he’s like a god,” the doctor said. “Because he’s an alien, people don’t see him really as someone they can relate to or aspire to be like. They see him as special—their own miracle and hero—don’t get me wrong. But he doesn’t inspire the same level of devotion simply because he’s not human. You are. I can draw your blood—you bleed and feel pain. No one has ever seen Superman do either of those things. That means people will worship him to a certain degree, but they won’t feel the same level of connection. You, they know, are entirely human, which I can confirm since I’ve seen your blood panel. You’re just special; some believe you are blessed by God. They love you like they will never quite love him.”

Buffy felt her cheeks turn red at the doctor’s words, and she felt bad for Clark. She knew he felt pain—not like she did, of course, but still.

“That makes sense,” Clark said easily. He had already thought similar things and was not hurt by the doctor’s insightful observation.

“Sometimes, I think it would be really nice not to feel any pain,” Buffy said with a sigh. She was relieved Clark didn’t seem upset at the doctor’s words. Could he be more wonderful?

“Without pain, can you truly know true joy?” the doctor asked. “Physical pain reminds us that we are alive, and our body is a demanding mistress that we must keep satisfied if we want to live a long and happy life.”

Buffy laughed. “I like that. So is my body free to go?” she asked.

“You are free to go,” he said, smiling. “The nurse said we are liberating some of these flowers for you?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Can I take one for my wife? I never have time to stop and get her some,” he asked, looking a bit embarrassed.

“Of course,” Buffy said. “Just not the biggest one. I’m going to take that one with me. Also, the balloons that Faith brought me. Oh, and I better grab those flowers since Bruce gave me those.” She pointed to the beautiful orange tulips.

When the doctor left, Clark couldn’t help pointing to the largest bouquet and asking, “Who gave you those?”

“Those are from Lex,” Buffy said. She couldn’t help but look for some sign that Clark might not like another man sending her flowers, but he simply nodded.

“That’s nice of him,” he said. He thought about what she said about going to Metropolis and wanted to ask if she was seeing him. Then he realized it wasn’t his business, and he had no right to pry into her private life.

“He’s sending his plane, so I can have dinner with him tonight,” she added. Now that got a stronger reaction.

“Really?” Clark asked, frowning. “That seems a bit over the top, don’t you think? I didn’t think you were the kind of girl who would be impressed with a guy’s money or what he can do with it.”

“No, I can’t say I ever have before,” she said with a shrug. “But I’ve never dated anyone that had much money. Watching Faith with Bruce has made me a tiny bit envious—I gotta admit.”

Now Clark was looking very disappointed. “Oh, you want to get your own billionaire—I see,” he said. “Well, have fun. I’ll get out of your way.” He turned to go, and Buffy grabbed his arm, turning him back around to face her.

“Excuse me,” she said, glaring. “What the hell is your problem?”

“I don’t have any problem,” he said. “I just thought you were different is all. I’ve seen other girls fall for Lex before, and it never ends well.”

“Okay, for one, I’m not your ex, Laney,” Buffy said.

“Lana,” he corrected.

“Whatever,” Buffy said, waving a hand dismissively. “Second of all, I’m not looking to bag my own billionaire. I meant that I wanted what Faith and Bruce have—you should see them together. He adores her, and she’s crazy about him. I’ve never seen her this happy. Do you know when the last time I got asked out to dinner by a guy genuinely interested in getting to know me, Clark?”

Clark shrugged. “I’m sure a beautiful woman like you gets asked out all the time,” he said.

“You would be wrong,” she said. “Ben, he was the last guy to ask me out on a real date before Lex,” Buffy said. “He was the human host of Glory, the hellgod who wanted to sacrifice Dawn back when I was twenty.” She gave a humorless laugh. “Yes, that’s how god awful my luck is in the romance department! And that’s over three years ago, Clark— _three years_. I didn’t sleep with Ben. We had coffee once. After him, there was Spike, but Spike and I didn’t go out on dates since he was just my shameful little secret. He and I just had sex a lot when we weren’t fighting—I hit him a lot. Because I was so numb after being brought back, I let him hit me a lot, too. It was _not_ a healthy relationship.”

Clark felt his face flush at the mention of her sex life, and he tried to recover from the awkwardness. “Well, I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

“You should be,” Buffy said, a bit hurt. “You’ve made some assumptions. I slay monsters. I have responsibilities, and I haven’t had a chance to even meet a nice guy until I met you. You, though, don’t seem interested in asking me out. I know you’re still mourning Lois, and I would never want to intrude on your grief. But Lex seems like a nice guy—you said he was okay. Bruce said he was. I don’t hold a guy’s past against him, especially when it wasn’t really him but his original person who did those things. I’m not going to hold what the Lex you knew did against this Lex any more than I’d hold what Angelus did against Angel.”

Clark nodded. “I can understand that,” he said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just think you’re amazing, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I appreciate that. Unfortunately, I’ve been hurt before, and I can handle it just fine,” she said. “I’m going to dinner. I might sleep with him—I might not. We might just end up friends. Who knows? But I want something in my life besides slaying and being the hero for the world—you know?”

“I get it,” he said. “Have fun.”

Buffy’s phone beeped, and she looked at the message. “My car’s here. Can you help me take this stuff down?” she asked.

Clark nodded and reached for Lex’s flower and Bruce’s. “No problem,” he said, glad they weren’t fighting anymore. Her friendship had become important to him the past year. He listened to her chatter happily as they walked away before the nurse could bring her a wheelchair. The thought of her dating Lex still didn’t sit right with him, but he didn’t know if it was because of his history with Lex or something else.

Did he care that she was dating? He wasn’t sure he was ready to face the answer to that question.

***** _Metropolis*****_

Lex Luthor was seething. How did it happen? Six months ago, before Buffy Summers had revealed her identity or Superman had shared everything he knew about the supernatural with the world, he had been approached by a man named Ethan Rayne. The man had given him just enough information to pique his interest. When he had produced a monster that he called a Turok-Han, a type of demon, Lex was not sure if that was true or if it was a new alien life. The creature had one weakness—it could not handle the sunlight, which Lex found fascinating. He saw the potential in harnessing the creature’s power to aid America and was hoping to have something to show the military if he could overcome the creature’s daylight sensitivity. Nothing seemed to work that he tried, and Rayne had said it was impossible to cure. However, his journals had told him of the meteor rock and various experiments his father had done. He knew that when the shower happened, he had lost his hair has a boy. Weird things happened in Smallville as Chloe Lane had chronicled in her high school paper.

When Rayne had shown Lex his monster and where he could find more, Lex had not let him in on his plans to experiment with the creatures. The meteorite, though, had allowed the creatures to walk in the daylight, which was an exciting development. When Superman had come out and shared about demons and vampires, Lex realized that Rayne hadn’t told him everything about the creatures. Disturbed by the implication that he might be working with something that was innately evil and thus morally reprehensible, he paused his project, hoping to figure out the best course of action. He put all his people on researching the hellmouth, waiting to learn more about the supernatural.

Then General Lane had approached him with a proposal to find a few regular vampires and see if Walsh’s behavior modification plans were doable. Fascinated with the idea, Lex had completely put his Turok-Han plans on ice. The Turok-Hans were much stronger and more dangerous. There was no way to control them, so any behavior modification would have to start with the weaker type of vampires anyway.

How did Rayne gain access to them? He had checked the cameras at the facility where they were housed, and the footage was no good. The guards had not been killed, but their memories had been wiped. It had to have been Rayne. How did he do it? It was beyond foolish of Lex to work with someone he didn’t know much about. It was time for him to do what he should’ve done to begin with. He went to his computer and began to do a deep background search on Ethan Rayne.

He was having dinner with Buffy, and he wanted to have some information before he saw her. He didn’t think she would be quite so understanding if she found out he was indirectly responsible for the monsters that had killed some of her people.

***** _New York*****_

Buffy looked at the window of the plane as she flew from Metropolis back home. It’d been a few weeks since she had been back home as she’d been traveling a lot. Her mind was full of the events of the past twenty-four hours. Two things were vying for attention: her interaction with Clark and her date with Lex. Lex had met her personally at the airport—a move that had surprised her as she had expected only a car to take him to his location.

Because no one knew she was in town, she had the anonymity that she had been seeking. He actually drove her to Smallville and took her to his giant McMansion after giving her a tour of Smallville and the Talon. She never told him, of course, that she’d been to the town before with Superman aka Clark. He told her about the journals that said how he’d bought the Talon from Lana to help her keep running it as she was in high school and loved the place. At first, he had done it because Clark had a crush on her, and he wanted to build a connection to Clark. He had also admired the girl’s work ethic, and she had been a good partner. Eventually, though, his clone (Lex referred to the original Lex as his clone) had fallen in love with her.

Buffy had asked him how weird was it to read about things he had no memory of. He admitted that it was very weird, but it also helped when he came across things his clone did that were morally questionable or right down reprehensible.

At one point, he asked Buffy, “Do you think I have a different soul than my clone?”

Buffy thought the question quite interesting and wasn’t sure how to answer at first. “That seems like a Giles question,” she said in bemusement. “I leave the deep thinking to my Watcher or Willow.”

“Now I know you’re not just a pretty face,” Lex said with a smile.

“Well, if a human body can’t have two demons occupy the same space without major conflict, and a body can’t live without a demon or a soul giving it life—these are things I’ve seen firsthand—I would think that a clone would have to have his or her own soul,” she said as she worked it out in her mind. “You may be his genetic match almost the way a twin is. They share the same egg until it split. They clearly have different souls, so yes, I do think you have your own soul. You are responsible for own sins only.”

Lex smiled. “That’s good to hear,” he said. “Of course, I’m not perfect.”

“None of us are,” she said.

He had a wonderful dinner prepared by his chef at his home, so there was absolute privacy. When it came time for the night to be over, they were in his living room area. A fire was going in the fireplace—it was very cozy. Conversation between them had flowed easily, and Buffy had been really enjoying herself. Lex was brilliant in the way that Willow was brilliant except he focused that big brain on her—it was intoxicating. He gave her his complete attention, and she loved it.

When he leaned in to kiss her, her arms had gone around his neck, and she welcomed the kiss. There was definite sparkage between them, so she let it go on for several minutes. Then she pulled back and gave him a considering look. If she slept with him, she and Clark could never be. Clark had already done that once before with his ex, and he still felt the sting of whatever had happened. It didn’t matter that this Lex wasn’t the same Lex because for Clark it would be déjà vu.

But Lex wanted her, and Clark didn’t seem to. However, the times Buffy had just gone with her physical attraction and not thought things through, Angelus had happened, and then Spike’s obsession had occurred.

The flight attendant announced the plane was approaching the airport, so Buffy tried to clear her mind of her musings. However, she was still struggling. In the end, she hadn’t slept with Lex, telling him she wasn’t one for casual sex. Her response seemed to please him, and he hadn’t pressured her. Instead, he offered her a very lovely room to stay alone for the night. He had fed her breakfast and driven her to the airport.

When she got out of the car, he stepped out behind her to see her off. For one foolish moment, Buffy had forgotten about her newfound fame and had publicly kissed him goodbye before grabbing her suitcase. Then she noticed the half dozen people standing in various state of delighted surprise at seeing her. All had their phones out. She had groaned and looked back at Lex, who was laughing.

“So close,” he said, waving. “That was entirely your fault, by the way.”

She had glared before flouncing off, his laughter ringing in her ears.

Now all she could think about was what Clark would think when he saw the picture of Lex driving her to the airport and kissing her goodbye.

Would he assume they slept together? Would he even care?

Those questions kept going around in a loop as she got off the plane. When she stepped out of the airport, the flash of cameras greeted her.

Her fan club was waiting.

Damn it!

***** _Chapter End*****_

_I decided to focus on Buffy’s love life more than action in this update. I hope it didn’t disappoint. Reviews keep me inspired, so take a minute and leave me one if you will._


	21. What to do about Lex

***** _England*****_

Willow had just woken up from a late night fighting the horrible day vamps that had crept up all over the place, and she was still exhausted. They were mostly in America, but there was one in their area. This made her and Giles conclude that they had to be targeted somehow as neither believed in coincidences.

“Willow,” Andrew said. “Your computer keeps making that weird beeping noise you said meant someone tripped an alert.”

“Okay,” she said, grabbing a coffee before walking to her desk.

She went to her desk and back traced the intruder. “Why is Lex Luthor breaking into our files—or trying?” she wondered. How should she handle it? Buffy was dating him, but she wasn’t serious yet. Did he mean them harm or was he just looking for information?

She decided to asked Giles his opinion. “What should I do? Should I confront him? Tell Buffy?” she asked.

“I think you should confront him rather than tell Buffy,” Giles said. “You know how Buffy gets when she thinks we’re interfering in her love life.”

“Should I do it over the phone or in person?” Willow asked.

Giles considered, thinking of the kind of man Lex was. “I think a show of strength will get his attention more,” he said.

“I agree,” she said. “He needs to know that even if he succeeds in manipulating Buffy, he can’t do so with the rest of us.”

“Will you stay gone a few days while stateside?” he asked.

“I think I will check in with Cordy and go to Gotham and see Faith,” Willow said. “I haven’t got to meet her new boyfriend—officially.”

“All right,” Giles said. “Are you going to tell Buffy about whatever goes down?”

Willow nodded. “Yes. I wonder if I should take Xander? He’s good at diffusing tense situations,” she said.

While she went to get ready, Giles hoped this was the right thing to do.

****** _Gotham******_

Faith was enjoying her yummy breakfast that Alfred fixed for her. She’d all but moved in with Bruce since they’d become lovers. He didn’t like her to be away from him, and when he had to go out of town for business, he insisted she stay at his penthouse in town. He would have Alfred stay with her, so she wouldn’t be alone. She found his behavior a bit silly but also very sweet. No one had ever spent so much time watching out for her welfare.

“Damn, Alfred. This quiche is better than the omelet you made yesterday, and I didn’t think that was possible,” she said.

Buffy came into the room. “Quiche? Did you say quiche?” she asked, her eyes lighting up. “I haven’t had a good quiche since my mother died.”

“Way to lay on the guilt before breakfast,” Faith said.

“We have plenty,” Alfred said, giving her a warm smile. He loved cooking for the two ladies as they loved food and appreciated it. The challenge of finding new dishes kept him entertained. He was hopeful that one day soon that Bruce would propose to Faith, and then there would be children for Alfred to look after. Bruce had never been this happy before, and it warmed Alfred’s heart to see him find some joy in his personal life as it had always been so fleeting.

Bruce came into the room and leaned down to kiss Faith. Naturally, she wouldn’t let him get away with a simple peck and drew him into her.

“I’m trying to eat here!” Buffy complained.

“Green is such a good color on you,” Faith said, flashing her a smirk as Bruce pulled away.

“Well, from what I’ve read, she has no reason to be jealous,” Bruce said as he sat at the table. He handed Buffy the newspaper.

Faith snatched it, though, before Buffy could pick it up. She opened it to the lifestyle section, which is where the good celebrity gossip often was located and grinned. “Well, well, well. Look what we have here. “Lex Luthor finds love. Is the world’s heroine off the market?”

“What?” Buffy asked. “Give me that!” She snatched the paper and saw a picture of herself kissing Lex goodbye at the airport. Groaning, she threw it down in disgust. “I knew it. Lex told me that this would happen since I forgot myself and kissed him goodbye.”

“There’s that picture of him with you at dinner that time you went out, and he does look smitten,” Faith pointed out.

“I like Lex. He’s great,” Buffy said. “I’m attracted to him, but we didn’t even sleep together.”

Faith looked surprised. “You stayed the night in his McMansion and didn’t get some of that? Have I taught you nothing?” she asked.

“How about you remember that I am still in the room?” Bruce asked her, raising an eyebrow.

Faith grinned. “Hey, you know we waited weeks and weeks, so I’m not playing with you,” she told him.

Bruce looked oddly pleased at her words and watched as she went back to drilling Buffy. The two of them had such a fascinating dynamic. Faith looked up to Buffy immensely and thought of her as her big sister even as she still felt guilty for the things that she had done to hurt Buffy in the past. Bruce, however, figured a knife in the gut and a coma kind of made them even. He thought Buffy didn’t have any reason to not trust Faith, especially after she had fought in the last battle in Sunnydale with them. As far as he could see, Buffy didn’t seem to hold the past against her. She seemed more than willing to keep Faith close, which made Bruce like her more. He wished that he had that kind of rapport with someone his own age as Serena and Rachel had been his only two contemporary friends. Should he allow Oliver Queen to get close to him? They did have a lot in common, but he had a hard time picturing himself ever letting down his guard with anyone the way Buffy and Faith did with one another.

“So why didn’t you tap Lex?” Faith wondered.

Buffy was silent as she thought about how to answer. “I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “I guess I don’t want to rush into anything.” She wasn’t ready to talk about her feelings for Clark—at least not in front of Bruce. Although she liked him, she didn’t know him that well.

Her phone rang, and she answered it. It was him.

***** _Metropolis*****_

Lex was in his office, looking at the paper and figured that he better called Buffy. Luckily, she didn’t sound too freaked out by it.

“I did warn you,” he said, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.

“Yea, yea. I know,” she said. “Gloating is not attractive.”

He laughed, amused by her. It surprised him that she was endearingly sweet even though she was deadly. “What can I say? You bring it out in me,” he said. “You’re not really upset, though, right?” She had refused to have sex with him. Was he wasting his time with her?

“No, not really,” she said. “I just don’t want the world to be so involved in my personal life.”

“Unfortunately, it comes with the level of celebrity you’ve now obtained,” he told her.

“Yes, I know,” she said. “So what are you doing today? I’m trying to decide if I’m ready to go back home or not. It’s been good being around Faith again.”

“Have you considered going back to school and finishing your degree?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I know my mother would’ve liked that. Not to mention, Giles and Willow. New York has a lot of schools to choose from.”

“Could you really focus on school if you were in charge of a house?” Lex pointed out. “Maybe you should think of going to school in a place that is already being monitored by superheroes.”

“Oh, like Gotham?” Buffy asked, looking over at Bruce who was grinning at something Faith said to him.

“Or Metropolis,” he said.

Buffy laughed. “I guess I will think about it. Enjoy your day,” she said.

Lex’s secretary buzzed him. “It’s time for your speaking engagement at Metropolis University,” she said.

“Thanks,” he told her. One of the things he did that his other version didn’t was spend time mentoring teens and young adults who think they want to go into the business world. He spoke every other month at two high schools—one in Metropolis and the one in Smallville. They had Future Business Leaders of America clubs. Once a semester, he spoke at the university. The various business professors promoted his talk, and it was always very well attended. It made him feel good to think that he might inspire other men and women to make something of their lives.

Would it make up for what he had accidentally unleashed on the world? He doubted it would, and he knew that Buffy would be really pissed if she found out he was inadvertently responsible for the super vamps that had killed people all over the world, putting her in the hospital. His lack of success at finding out more about Ethan Rayne was frustrating. He knew that her organization knew more about Ethan as once Rayne had let it slip that he knew Rupert Giles. Since he was British, Lex figured he must know Buffy’s mentor. How could he have foreseen the havoc the man would unleash?

Like he had been trained to do as a child (even though the memories weren’t there), he put it out of his mind. Focusing on his new task at hand was how he would get through the day.

***** _Metropolis University******_

Cordelia Chase, now known as Cora Kent, looked at the course catalog. Could she just start school? She has the funds, and thanks to her Kryptonian DNA, it was possible to be anywhere in the world quickly if she was needed. Martha Kent was ready to retire from the State Senate and wanted someone at home to mother. She had brought up to Cora the idea of going to school and staying on the farm with her. Their cousin Kara was going to school and really liked it. Now that Kara was in Los Angeles with Cora’s former group, she was at loose ends. There was no way she could in good conscience work at Wolfram & Hart, no matter the reason Angel had. Nor could she just join Buffy’s band of slayers. They were really pissed at her now, and she never really enjoyed working with them. Oliver and the Justice League was an obvious good fit for her. Since Oliver had relocated to Starling City, there was a need for her to be in the area.

Of course, Metropolis was home to Clark, but he wasn’t focused anymore on the criminal element like he used to. As a child of the hellmouth, Cora didn’t blame him for his new obsessions as it had killed his lover. He knew of the evil on the planet, and the innate goodness in him would not stand for it. She felt the pull to eradicate the evil, too, but she also knew what a quagmire it would be. Too much of her life had been spent doing that, and she felt that she deserved more.

She was looking down at the catalog and didn’t see the man coming toward her. He was looking at his phone, so a collusion was inevitable.

“Oh, sorry,” she said.

Lex bent down to pick up the book the woman he knocked into had dropped. “No, I’m sorry. I was looking at my phone instead of where I was walking,” he said, looking up and giving her a rueful grin. When the woman flashed him a stunning smile, he blinked. She was incredibly beautiful and looked familiar.

“It’s okay. We both were doing it,” she said. “You look very familiar, but I don’t think we’ve met.”

“I was thinking the same thing about you,” he said. He held out his hand. “Lex Luthor.”

Cora’s eyes widened as she put her hand in his. A flash of heat hit her as their eyes connected, and she just knew he felt it, too. “Oh, well, then I guess we do sort of know each other,” she said. “I’m Cora—Cora Kent. I believe you know my half-brother, Clark.”

Lex felt stunned as his mind made quick calculations, trying to piece together how she could be. “You are younger than he is?” he asked.

“I think so—by a year or so. I’m twenty-three,” she said. “A bit old to start school, but I didn’t have any money until recently.”

“I’m sorry, but I know the Kent family, and there is no way that Clark’s father would have ever cheated on Martha,” Lex said. He was surprised by his instant attraction to her as it wasn’t something he had ever experienced before. With Buffy, he was enamored with her before he met her, so he was prepared to be attracted to her. This woman, though, he felt a strong connection to her before she opened her mouth and told him her name. Did her connection to Clark make her less or more desirable? It troubled him that he didn’t know.

Cora grinned. “Very true. I will tell you the truth only because you are so close to the family,” she said. “He did one of those donations for money at a time when the farm needed something. I was created via sperm-bank.”

“Really?” Lex asked in surprise. Then he grinned. “I would never have thought Jonathan Kent would do such a thing.”

“Yes, it’s been a bit shocking for the family, but you know how Martha is. I’m just someone new for her to mother,” Cora said with a smile. This was the story she and Martha had decided on as she was going to just tell everyone that she was Clark’s cousin. However, Martha wanted Clark to be able to claim her as a sister. Now that she was retiring from politics, Martha didn’t care about how scandalous the new sibling might be to some.

“That does sound like Martha,” Lex said with a smile. “My father was in love with her, you know.”

“Actually, I didn’t,” Cora said.

“She inspired him to be a better man,” Lex said.

“That’s sweet. I can see how she would inspire that. So what brings you to a college campus?” Cora asked.

“I just finished giving a talk to the business majors,” he shared. “I do it once a semester. I like inspiring others to take a chance on their dreams.”

“That’s nice,” she said. “Don’t let me keep you.”

“You’re not,” Lex said. “Did you already enroll? Maybe I can take you to lunch?”

Cora smirked. “Not yet, but I do look at the papers,” she said. “I am not about to go to lunch with the man dating Buffy Summers. I’d never hear the end of it. We went to high school together.”

Lex’s mind kept working as connections clicked at her words. “Then you must be more than Clark’s sister,” he said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cora asked.

Lex glanced around to see if anyone was near them before speaking. “I know that Clark is Superman, and that means you must be the new Superwoman. It is an honor to meet you,” he said, giving her a genuine smile. “As for Buffy, she and I have gone out to dinner a few times, but we are not exclusive. We aren’t even lovers.” He didn’t add not yet.

“I worked for years with one of her exes—the great love of her life Angel,” Cora said. “She’s never loved another the man the way she did him even if she killed him to save the world. I have no desire to be a part of a love triangle.” She smiled to soften the blow. “As for knowing who we are, Clark must have trusted you quite a bit to tell you that.”

“Actually, he didn’t. We were best friends—I thought he was like my brother,” Lex said. “Then I died. I’m sure he will tell you, so I will trust you with my own secret. I’m not the Lex your brother knew. He knows this about me. I’m actually his brother—his clone to be exact. My memory was wiped, but I have Lex’s journals, and it’s how I know so much about Clark. Lex wrote everything down, and it’s helped me a lot since I don’t have his memories.”

Cora didn’t know what to say to this man, who was more intriguing by the minute. Why did he reveal such a secret to her? There was no way of knowing that Clark would’ve ever done so. “The cloning kept you bald? That’s kind of sad,” she said with a wink.

Lex laughed, surprised by her reaction. Then looked startled as someone just appeared next to Cora.

Instinctively, Cora moved to attack and then realized it was Willow. “Willow? What the hell?” she asked.

“Cordy? What are you doing here?” she asked. Then she looked at Lex. “And with him.”

“Well, first of all, I’m not _with_ him,” Cora said. “Second of all, it’s Cora, not Cordy now. Thirdly, I’m on campus checking it out as Martha Kent thinks I should work on my degree when I literally ran into Mr. Luthor here as I wasn’t watching where I was going. What are you doing? How did you get here?”

“Teleported,” Willow said. “Like I said before, I will call you whatever the hell I want.” She glared at Cora. “You’re the reason Buffy’s life has gotten turned upside down, and as you were my childhood bully, I have more than earned the right to call you by the name you were raised with.”

“Fine,” Cora said in resignation.

“So I guess you really do know Buffy,” Lex said in bemusement as he could sense an old history between the two.

“Why are you here?” Cora asked Willow. “For me or for Lex.”

Willow eyed Lex. “I’m here for Lex as he was trying to break into our computer systems, and I want to know why. No one can hack my system—just so you know,” Willow said.

“Well, that sounds like none of my business,” Cora said. “Good luck with Willow. Her tempter matches her red hair these days, so be careful. I would say she doesn’t hurt humans, but she did fillet a man that one time—that’s the rumor anyway.” She couldn’t resist the dig since Willow acted like she was so perfect.

Willow glared at her. “Goodbye, _Cordelia_ ,” she said.

“Nice to meet you, Lex,” Cora said, flashing him a smile.

“It was my pleasure,” Lex said. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again.”

Cora said nothing else as she left Lex to his fate.

Willow crossed her arms and stared him down. “Why were you trying to get into my computer system?” she asked. “How do I explain this to Buffy?”

Lex sighed. “Why don’t you come to my car? I’ll take you back to my office, and I will explain.” He just hoped that she was reasonable. Lex knew that she was a powerful witch who had risen Buffy from the dead—the entire world knew. 

How would she react if he told her the truth?

***** _Gotham*****_

Faith and Buffy were in the large room that Bruce had converted into a gym for her to workout in. Although he had a workout room that he called a gym, it didn’t have the room she needed to do real sparring in. Until he met her, he never had a partner that he knew wanted to spar. Serena was a fighter when she had to, but she didn’t crave it or want it like Faith did.

The two slayers were going at it when Alfred led the guest to them. “Ladies, you have a visitor,” he announced.

Faith looked toward him, which cost her because Buffy did a roadhouse kick to her stomach.

Alfred winced. “Forgive me, Faith,” he said.

Xander snickered. “I bet that smarted,” he said.

“Smarted? What the hell kind of word is that?” Faith said as Buffy reached down to pull her to her feet.

“I didn’t know you were coming,” Buffy said as she hugged Xander.

“Willow had to go to Metropolis. I was going to go with her, but I decide to come here,” he said. “I have news for both of you.”

“What’s up?” Faith asked. She walked over to the mini-fridge and grabbed a water, tossing one to Buffy and reaching for another.

“Giles says that you should have at least a watcher if you’re going to be in Gotham full-time,” Xander said.

“Really? Who’s sending? It better not be Andrew,” Faith said. “I don’t want him fanboying over Bruce.”

Xander snickered. “Yes, I can see how knowing who Bruce is might cause him to swoon,” Xander said. “Giles knows that Bruce was pissed that any of us know his secret, so he didn’t think it would be good to send anyone else. Willow and Giles don’t plan on telling any other slayer or watchers.”

Faith frowned. “Then who’s going to be my watcher?” she asked.

“You’re moving to Gotham?” Buffy said as she pieced it together. “Is Anya moving too?”

“Yes, to both questions,” Xander said. “Willow isn’t terribly happy about me leaving her, but Giles thought Faith and I would do well together.”

“Just don’t tell Bruce that she took your V-card,” Buffy said with a smirk.

Faith glared. “How about we not talk about that—like ever?” she suggested.

“Works for me,” Xander said with a shrug. It wasn’t his finest moment either. “I did promise Willow there would be no shenanigans between us.”

“Please,” Faith said with a snort. “You may have learned a whole lot about sex from your ancient ex-demon lover, but Bruce is the best I’ve ever had.”

“Coming from you that says a lot,” Buffy said, snickering.

Faith grinned. “True,” she said. “So what’s Anya going to do while she’s in Gotham?”

“I think she’s going to see about opening up another business like the Magic Box,” Xander said. “Who knows? She’s really smart when it comes to business.”

“I’m sure Bruce can help her find a good location. He’s got a lot of property that he doesn’t use,” Faith

“That’ll be great. So I have another piece of news,” Xander said, glancing at Buffy. “This one’s for Buff.”

“What’s up? Everything okay in New York? Dawnie not in trouble, is she?” Buffy asked.

“No, she’s fine. This is about Lex,” Xander said.

“What about him? Did you see the paper? It was just a kiss,” Buffy said.

“Willow said he was trying to hack into the school’s mainframe,” Xander told her without beating around the bush.

“What?” Buffy said.

“No shit?” Faith asked.

Xander nodded. “Yes. He was looking for information,” Xander said. “Not sure on who. I’m assuming you, but we don’t actually know that.”

“Well, I’m sure he has a good reason,” Buffy said even though she couldn’t think of a single reason. “I’ll call and ask.”

“No need. Willow is with him now,” Xander shared.

Buffy didn’t know why Lex would be poking around their systems, but she knew that Willow had no right to question him. It was Buffy’s place. 

She was pissed.

Faith knew without her saying a word. “Did you want me to ask Bruce if you can get a ride to Metropolis?” she asked Buffy.

“Yes,” Buffy said. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Faith said. “I’ll go call him.”

She left Buffy with Xander. “Are you okay?” Xander asked.

“I am angry that Willow would do what should be my job to do,” Buffy said. “Where the heck does she get off?”

“She and Giles thought it was best that she confronted him directly since he is who he is, and you don’t always think straight when it comes to a man you’re involved with,” Xander said.

Buffy gave him a sour look. “That’s so not called for. Lex and I are barely involved. We’ve been out twice,” she said.

“You seemed cozy at the airport,” Xander said.

“You saw that? How? It was in the paper here,” she said.

“There’s that thing called the internet,” he said. “And you know Dawn forwards us all the news on you anyway.”

“I haven’t even slept with him,” Buffy said. “He cooked me dinner and was a perfect gentleman. I like him.”

“Are you not attracted to him?” Xander asked.

“Of course, I am,” Buffy said. “He’s attractive and charismatic. He really listens when I talk.”

“That’s good,” Xander said. “Did he not try to put the moves on you?”

“He did,” Buffy said, smiling. “We were making out, but I just wasn’t sure I wanted to sleep with him.”

“Really? If you’re slaydar is telling you there’s something off about him, you should listen,” Xander said.

“It’s not that,” Buffy said. “I just like someone else more, and I know if I sleep with Lex, I will never get the other guy to give me the time of day.”

Xander grinned. “Another guy? Seriously?” he asked. Then he thought about who it might be and sighed. “You’re talking about Clark, aren’t you?”

Buffy nodded. “Yes,” she said. “And I know what you’re thinking—no need to say it.”

Xander put his arm around her shoulder. “Willow would tell you this if she was here,” he said. “No one can mourn forever. If you think Clark could be something special, you should wait for him. Don’t settle. You’re an amazing woman, Buffy, and you deserve and amazing guy.”

Buffy leaned her head on his shoulder. This is what she needed—advice from her Xander-shaped friend. Now she has to deal with Willow, who was taking it upon herself to confront Buffy’s suitor.

What was she going to do about Lex?

***** _Chapter end*****_

_Enjoying this story sill? Let me know with a comment or kudos!_


	22. Confrontations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do apologize for making you wait so long for an update!

_******Metropolis******_

Lex had decided to do the opposite of what his original self would’ve done. He didn’t try to twist the truth to his advantage. Instead, he brought Willow to his office and laid out the full truth to her, explaining why he was trying to get into her mainframe.

Willow stared at him in silence, more than a bit shocked at the confession she got from Lex without any magical influence. The truth was ugly, and she was unsure what to do with it.

“I was trying to make America safe, and I had no idea that Ethan Rayne had his own agenda,” Lex said. “It was a very foolish move on my part—one I don’t think my other self would have been so naïve.”

Willow could see that he was very much embarrassed and disgusted with himself and found her feeling a bit sorry for the man. Then she thought of the people who died because of him and frowned. “Although you might’ve had the best intentions, you have to make amends for your part in this, Lex. The families that died deserve compensation. We know Ethan Rayne, and he worships the god of Chaos,” she shared.

“What does that mean?” Lex asked.

“He enjoys doing things that inflicted utter chaos,” Willow said. “Of course, there was the second time we met him. He put a tattoo on Buffy’s neck, so she would be possessed by this demon that he and Giles raised when they were young and stupid. The demon had been killing Giles’ old buddies, and Ethan was next. He made Buffy its target instead.”

“Really?” Lex winced.

“That wasn’t the worst thing he did, though. Then there was the year he first came to town and opened a Halloween costume shop, and then he did this spell that turned everyone into their costumes. I was dressed as a ghost, so I actually died. Xander was dressed as a soldier, which was kind of helpful. However, Buffy had dressed as a Victorian woman, so she was helpless when the town became overrun with little kids that turned into demons or whatever evil thing they had on as a costume,” she shared.

Lex looked a bit horrified as he considered the implication. “That’s horrific to picture,” he said.

“It was a bit crazy,” she said. “But then there was the time he brought in this evil band candy that turned all the adults into town into hormonal teenagers. It was insane, but not as bad as the babies he tried to sell to be sacrificed. Then there was the time he turned Giles into a demon, and Buffy almost slayed him before she realized it was Giles.”

“Okay, I get it. Ethan Rayne is more than a bit psychotic, and I was an utter idiot to work with him,” Lex said with a glum sigh. How was he going to do damage control?

“Well, Giles has been suckered by Ethan more than once, and he’s known the man for decades,” Willow said. “Turning him into a demon wouldn’t have been able to happen at all if Giles hadn’t had drinks with the man, and that was after all the other stuff Ethan had done in Sunnydale.”

Lex appreciated her attempt to make him feel better—he didn’t deserve that. His secretary buzzed. “Sir, you have a visitor,” she said.

“Who is it?” he asked.

“Buffy Summers,” she replied.

“Send her in,” he said.

Buffy had found out through Giles that Willow was already in town, and she decided to try Lex’s office. When she found Willow sitting across from Lex, she tried to contain her anger. 

“Buffy,” Willow said, smiling as she stood. “It’s good to see you.”

“I wish I could say that same,” Buffy said, glaring at her. “Where the hell do you get off talking to Lex without talking to me? It is not your place nor is it Giles to make these kinds of decisions. When he tried killing Spike last year, I thought he’d learned his lesson. It seems not.”

“Lex was sniffing in the school’s mainframe—that is my business,” Willow pointed out. “I just wanted to find out if he had a good reason or not before I told you. I wasn’t going to keep it from you.”

“If the man I’m dating is doing anything that you want to question, you go through me,” Buffy said. “This is the last time. It was bad enough when you guys kicked me out of my own house and didn’t so much as acknowledge how wrong you were. I have given too much to this world for you and Giles thinking you have the right to do what’s best for me. If you care about me like you say you do, you will stop trying to manage me. I’m a grown woman, Willow. I think I deserve more respect than that.”

Willow felt her words deeply and tried not to cry as Lex was watching the scene with avid interest. It was cowardly of her, but she still hated confrontation. It was why none of them addressed what had happened the last days in Sunnydale when they’d picked Faith over her. Trauma of losing so many girls was the excuse she had, but she never felt like it was the right time to address it to Buffy. It seems she should’ve made the time.

“I’m sorry, Buffy. It won’t happen again,” she said warily. “However, Lex had a very good reason for doing what he did, and I’ll let him tell you about it. Call me later if you want to talk.”

Having said that, she nodded to Lex who gave her a look of sympathy as she left.

“Well, I’m sorry that happened,” Lex said. “Are you okay?”

Buffy took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “I’m sorry to air dirty laundry in front of you,” she said.

“Did they really throw you out of your own house?” he asked as he handed her a bottle of water.

“They decided that Faith would be a better leader even though she had just broken out of prison the week before, and I’d led them just fine for nearly seven years,” Buffy said sourly as she sat in the chair Willow vacated.

“Gee,” Lex said. “That’s pretty awful and disloyal. It says a lot about you that you keep forgiving them. I wouldn’t have forgiven them for the pulling me out of heaven bit to begin with.” Thanks to Buffy’s unguarded discussion at the graveyard when she was doing the bit with the comedians, the whole world knew her secrets.

“They love me, and I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for them,” Buffy said. “I was sixteen when Xander first saved my life, and they’ve both done it a few times. I love them, and I am grateful for them. However, when they pull crap like this, it makes me want to just walk away from the entire council.”

“You could,” he said. “There’s lot of organizations that would welcome you, including the American government.”

“I’m so not ready to talk about all the reasons I’m not excited at that thought. So tell me what’s going on?” Buffy said. “I hope our relationship can survive this.”

“I’m not sure it can,” Lex admitted. “Willow just told me some things about Ethan Rayne. I was looking for information on him and his friend Amy—that’s why I was trying to get into Willow’s system.”

“Amy’s a witch, who we went to school with. Her mother was a dark witch, who stole her body for a bit. I killed her when I deflected one of her spells back on herself,” Buffy said. “Then when we were juniors, this demon came to town and infected our mothers. My mother and Willow’s mother tried to burn us at the stake along with Amy. Amy turned herself into a rat to escape the flames. It took Willow nearly four years to change her back to human. Then Amy got into the dark magics bad like Willow did.”

“Your life is very strange and disturbing,” he said, giving her a rueful smile.

“I know,” Buffy said. “Amy is working with Ethan? That can’t be good.” Then Buffy considered things that had been happening lately and had a thought. “Please tell me they aren’t the ones behind the day vamps!”

“I wish I could,” he said. “But it’s them, but it’s also me. Let me tell you what happened.”

Buffy listened to him explain how he wanted to do what Dr. Walsh had tried—harness demon power. Ethan took advantage of his ignorance of the supernatural world. Her shock and dismay warred with her mounting anger.

“I know it was wrong, and I wish that I could turn back time,” he said. “However, I must point out that I didn’t unleash those vampires, and I was stupid to trust Rayne. As soon as you told your story to the world, I realized that the project was a mistake and shut it down. I didn’t know Ethan still had access. I made some really bad choices.”

“Yes, you did,” Buffy said. “People are dead, Lex, and that’s on you. Clark’s going to freak out when he hears about this.”

“You’re referring to his Superman persona?” Lex said. “I know who he is just as he knows who I am. My original self was very close to him at one time—best friends. However, his suspicion that Clark was hiding things, drove them apart. When he finally discovered all Clark’s secrets, the truth destroyed him and their friendship. Lex admired him, though. It hurt him that Clark never trusted him.”

“The other Lex proved he wasn’t trustworthy,” Buffy replied. “But I think you didn’t have Lionel Luther raise you and play those twisted head games that I’ve heard he did with his son. You can be the kind of man Lex wanted to be, and you telling us the truth now makes me believe you are a better man than your clone.”

“I’m the clone, remember?” Lex said.

“That Lex is dead, and you are here. Be the man he wished he’d been—don’t be maniacal,” Buffy said. “You have to come clean to the world about your part in this, Lex, before the truth gets out some other way. Get ahead of it. Offer to make reparations somehow.”

“Then I’ll never be President,” he said.

“Is that your goal?” Buffy asked surprised.

“I hope someday,” Lex said. “I’m not quite old enough, but yes, I planned to run for governor in two years.”

“People love a good redemption story,” Buffy said.

“If you are there when I tell the tale, people might forgive me,” he said.

Buffy sighed. “Probably, but I’m not sure, Lex,” she said. “I will talk to Giles and maybe Bruce. Bruce runs a huge company.”

“Bruce Wayne?” he asked.

“You know he’s dating Faith? He let me use his helicopter to get here from Gotham,” Buffy said. She stood up, and Lex moved around the desk, reaching for her hand.

“Does that mean you’ll forgive me?” he asked, giving her an intent look.

“I can forgive you, Lex,” Buffy said. “But I’ve had too many ugly experiences with people who try to use vampires and demon strength. I don’t know that I can trust you enough to date you seriously anymore.”

Lex felt her rejection like a blow but schooled his expression. “I understand,” he said.

Buffy put her hand on his cheek. “I very much enjoyed every minute we spent together, though, and I hope you will count me as your friend,” she said. She reached up to place a soft kiss on his lips. Her feelings for Clark didn’t have to be ignored anymore, and she felt a bit free as she left Lex’s office.

Lex watched her leave, regret and self-recrimination filling him. However, he knew that life could change on a dime, and he hadn’t burned the bridge entirely with Buffy. His move to be honest had paid off, and now he had to find a way to tell the world what he had done.

***** _A Week Later*****_

Clark was at his mom’s watching the news, anger building. “I can’t believe it! Lex was involved in these vampires that have Kryptonite in it? Why am I so surprised? This version of him is just as bad as the other!”

“The other version of Lex would never had confessed so publicly,” Marth said. “Buffy wouldn’t be there behind him if she thought he had evil intentions.”

The fact that Clark still hadn’t heard directly from Buffy concerning this entire mess stung. He wasn’t yet ready to admit that he was also a bit hurt. He thought they were closer friends.

“Buffy is pretty forgiving,” Cora added. “But I kind of believe Lex myself. The man seems genuinely embarrassed that he trusted Ethan Rayne. Ethan’s pretty good at manipulation. He did several diabolical things to us back in Sunnydale, and he could still manage to get Giles to give him the benefit of the doubt. I was back in L.A. when he turned Giles into a demon—Buffy almost accidentally slayed him.”

“I don’t understand why I had to hear about this from the news,” Clark admitted. “Why hasn’t Buffy been here to tell me this herself?”

“She’s a busy person, Clark. I’m sure she will call you very soon,” Martha said.

“Or come in person,” Cora said as she got up to open the door before the person could knock. “Buffy. We were just talking about you.” She stepped back so Buffy could come in.

“Hey. Sorry to drop by without calling,” she said.

“It would be nice if you’d call,” Clark said, giving her a sour look. “Especially before you go on TV with Lex Luthor and tell secrets we didn’t even know were out there.”

“I planned on it, Clark,” Buffy said. “Then I decided I wanted to speak to you in person, but then I had the government taking up all my time as Lex ‘s confession led to more military secrets coming out in the open.”

“What do you mean?” Cora asked.

“A high-ranking military officer also contacted Lex about experimenting with regular vampires,” Buffy said.

“What?” Clark asked in outrage. “How could they be so stupid?”

“It’s not really stupidity, Clark. It’s just ignorance,” Buffy said. “Lex and other leaders have a desire to make America strong. They want assets that they can use to defend us from our enemies. Vampires seem like an ideal possibility as they are dead already and if they die, it’s not a real loss.”

“I hope you set them straight,” Cora said.

“I did,” Buffy said. “But it put me in a tricky situation. Lex and I were spending some time together, and there have been allegations that I’m protecting my boyfriend. I had to do several interviews—my one with Oprah will air tomorrow—explaining that Lex and I had gone out a few times. We’re not lovers, and he’s not my boyfriend. However, I do like and admire the man.”

“Even after this?” Clark asked, surprised.

“Clark, you have to let go of the Lex you knew,” Buffy said. “This one was not raised under Lionel Luthor’s ambition, and he has the journals of his clone to learn from his mistakes.”

“This Lex is the clone,” Clark corrected.

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know technically, but it’s just easier to think of this Lex—the one that is alive and breathing—as the real one. I didn’t know your friend-turned-enemy,” she said. “This one knows who you are, Clark, and he hasn’t done anything to hurt you or use that knowledge.”

“That’s true,” Martha said. “Even Lionel in the last few years of his life learned from his mistakes and became someone we could count on.”

“So you are not seeing Lex anymore?” Clark asked.

Cora couldn’t help but notice that Clark seemed very concerned about Buffy’s relationship status and hid a grin.

“No, we decided to part as friends,” Buffy said. “I could never completely trust him enough to be romantic with him, but I do think he wants to do the right thing. He’s paying restitution to the families who died because of what Ethan and Amy loosed.”

“I can’t believe Amy never learned her lesson,” Cordelia said. “Her mother was a real whack job who literally stole her body. You’d think she’d learn to stay away from the magics after that.”

“Sometimes, people don’t learn,” Buffy said.

“Would you like something to drink?” Martha asked. “Tea or lemonade?”

“Is the tea sweet?” Buffy asked.

“Of course,” Martha said with a grin.

“The British put cream in their tea. It’s super disgusting,” she said. “I would make Andrew make sweet tea just to annoy Giles.”

Cora laughed at that while Martha poured tea for Buffy and brought her some cookies.

“Cookies? I love cookies!” Buffy said, flashing her a grateful smile.

“I figured you did,” Martha said. “Cora and Clark ate a dozen already, but I always make two dozen when I bake.”

Buffy laughed and bit into the cookie. She groaned in pleasure. “These are the best thing ever!” she gushed.

Clark was watching her closely, frowning as he was a bit uncomfortable with her blatant pleasure. He said nothing as Buffy and Cordelia started talking about college and classes. Then he realized what Buffy was saying.

“You want to go back to school?” he asked.

“I think I do,” Buffy said. “I’m so high profile these days, though, I’m not sure how well I’ll do on a college campus. Plus, the President is pushing me to work for him.”

“Seriously?” Martha asked. “That’s wonderful, Buffy.”

“What does he want you to do?” Cora asked.

“He wants me to be his official advisor on the supernatural threats,” Buffy said. “That’s not a big deal. I would do that without the title, but Giles thinks accepting an official position might offer the girls some protection if word gets out there are other slayers out there like me. We are already getting more and more offers from very wealthy people to send their kids to two of the schools we’re running. The one here in America and the one in the UK. Giles is thinking of opening one in Japan and says it makes sense to bring in non-slayers as we have to start working on building future watchers and other positions needed within the council.”

“I always wanted to go to Japan,” Cora said.

“You know you can fly there whenever you want now,” Clark reminded her.

“That’s right!” Cora said with a grin. “I keep forgetting!”

“Kara is really enjoying the classes she’s taking in Los Angeles. I’m so glad she is keeping up her studies. She finished her semester here in Kansas, but she managed to get transferred to a school where she’s working. Are you checking out schools in New York?” Martha asked.

“I’m thinking Georgetown as the place is mostly full of young professionals and low crime,” Buffy said. “Willow said it’d be the place I’d less likely to get distracted with the supernatural. I’d also be close to D.C. if the President needs me.”

“That sounds wonderful, Buffy,” Martha said.

Buffy glanced at Corday. “I spoke to Angel the other day, Cor. He misses you a lot. He also told me that Kara was fitting great with everyone at his work.

“Angel calls me once a week, and I try to talk to him. I just need time. Before I was a Kryptonian, I spent four years with him fighting that evil law firm he’s running. It’s just going to be a while before I feel okay,” she said.

“I get that,” Buffy said.

“I’m going to take classes in the fall at Metropolis University,” Cora said. “I think I’ll spend the summer traveling.

“You totally should,” Buffy said. She looked at Clark. “So, Clark, how about we take a walk? I’d like to talk to you about a few other things.”

“Sure,” he said. He got up and led her outside and found himself leading her to his loft. “This is what my parents always called my Fortress of Solitude. I had it before I made the one in the Artic.”

Buffy looked around and saw the ladder and shrugged. “I’m happy to see it,” she said. When they got to the loft, she walked over to the telescope. “I always wanted one of these.”

“I always knew I was different, but it wasn’t until I was a teenager that I knew I was an alien. Then I was obsessed with the stars,” Clark said, standing behind Buffy as she looked at through the telescope lens. “Of course, I also used to use it to spy on my high school crush, who lived on the farm over.”

Buffy looked up at him in surprise and then giggled. “I love that!” she said. She moved to sit down, and he sat next to her. “Clark, I want to be honest with you about something.” Although Buffy was making decisions to start a life far away from Kansas, she felt she owed it to herself to tell Clark how she felt.

“I hope you know you can talk to me,” Clark said.

“This may be a bit embarrassing, and I want you to know that I value our friendship,” Buffy said.

“Yours has become important to me, too,” Clark said. “I was kind of upset that you didn’t call me and tell me about Lex because I thought we were closer than that.”

“Oh, I feel like we are,” she assured him. “I just wanted to tell you some things in person, and I figured I’d do it all at once. See, the day vamp situation with Lex isn’t the real reason I don’t want to date him.”

“It’s not?” Clark asked, surprised.

“No,” Buffy said. “When I was in Smallville recently, he and I went out. I stayed at his place, but I didn’t sleep with him.”

“I don’t need to know your personal business,” Clark said, not comfortable with the turn in the conversation.

“Well, I want you to know it,” she said. “I didn’t sleep with him because I have feelings for someone else, and I knew if I slept with him, I’d never get a chance with this other guy.”

“Oh,” Clark said. “I’m sure the other guy will appreciate that.”

“I hope so,” Buffy said. “The thing is, this other guy is amazing. He gets my life—I can talk to him like I used to talk to Angel except I don’t have to worry about him or what he’ll do. He’s full of so much integrity it oozes from his pores.”

“He sounds like a good guy,” Clark said. He wasn’t sure liked hearing about this paragon, but at least she wasn’t talking about Lex that way.

“He’s the best guy,” Buffy said, flashing him a blinding smile. “But he’s had a great love in his life, so I don’t know if he’ll ever have room in his heart for another.”

“People have a tremendous capacity to love, Buffy, so I’m sure he could love you if you gave him a chance,” Clark said, still not realizing she was talking about him.

“I hope so,” Buffy said, looking at him. When it became clear he wasn’t getting her very obvious hint, she reached for his hand. “Clark, I’m talking about you. You’re the guy.”

Clark blinked as he tried to take in what she was saying. “You like me?” he asked.

“Yes, Clark. I can’t believe you didn’t figure it out,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I know that you are still mourning Lois, and it might be a while before you’re ready to think of another woman in the place she was. But I felt that I should tell you what I was feeling. I’ve had some really lousy luck in the romance department, but you’re not like any guy I’ve ever known. If you ever get to the place where you might be ready to see someone romantically, I hope you’ll give me a chance.”

Clark considered how to answer her. He did feel an attraction for her, and she was an incredible woman. “Buffy, you are the most amazing woman, and any guy with you would be very lucky,” he said. “I do feel attracted to you, but I don’t know if I’m ready to give you what you deserve.”

“I didn’t think you were, but I really wanted you to know what was going on inside my head,” Buffy said. “I hope it doesn’t make you feel too uncomfortable to be around me because I don’t want to lose your friendship.”

“You won’t, Buffy,” Clark said. He reached out and pulled her close for a hug. The fact that she fit so perfectly in his arms only bothered him a little.

***** _Los Angeles*****_

Knox watched the object of his affections as she chatted with Fred. Fred had been his secret crush when he first met her as she was brilliant, funny, and so nice. Then Kara Kent had joined the staff, and he only saw her. She was even more brilliant and beautiful than Fred. No training in science yet she still was able to pick up any project they were working on and contribute in some way. He had planned this carefully.

Fred was called away, and he walked over to Kara. “Hey, Kara. Did you get a chance to check out the sarcophagus we brought in earlier?” he asked her.

“Not yet. Fred was telling me about it. She wants to start examining it in the morning,” Kara said.

“I can show it to you if you want to check it out,” Knox said.

“Sure,” Kara said, flashing him a smile.

Knox tried to suppress his excitement at the thought of his goddess in Kara’s body.

When Kara approached the sarcophagus, she was fascinated. It was clear that it was very old. She grabbed a pair of latex gloves, so she wouldn’t contaminate the object. That was the first rule Fred had taught her. “It’s so incredible,” she said, examining the markings. She used her x-ray vision to see inside and frowned. What was in it? Why couldn’t see make it out? Leaning over it, she tried to see inside it. A window opened, and it was like something sprayed in her face.

What the in the world? She used her breath to blow away the dust. “Man, this thing is dirty,” she muttered.

“Yes, it is,” Knox said. “Be careful.” He tried to hide his glee.

It had begun.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

_Okay, I will admit that the main reason I brought Kara into this story (besides loving the Smallville version of Kara) was for this storyline. I haven’t worked out all the details, so feel free to let me know how you imagine the events unfolding. Would Illyria be able to consume the Kryptonian? Please share your ideas. Thanks!_


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